SINGAPORE - Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat has warned the public against false reports that have been circulating online using his name.
Mr Heng said in a Facebook post on Friday (May 17) that he had noticed "many fraudulent reports with misleading comments" attributed to him.
"One even claimed that I invested in a new company," said Mr Heng, who is also Finance Minister. "These are untrue."
His Facebook post was accompanied by a photo of a news article purportedly from CNN, with the headline: "Minister of Finance Heng Swee Keat invested 6 million dollars in a new company that can make you rich."
This incident comes just two days after Manpower Minister Josephine Teo raised a similar alert on her Facebook page.
Mrs Teo said that her name was used by a fraudulent website to solicit personal or financial information from users.
She added that the website had even mixed some facts about the updated Employment Act to trick readers into signing up for an online platform.
[embed]https://www.facebook.com/hengsweekeat/photos/a.603060633065799/2279818998723279/?type=3[/embed]
In his post, Mr Heng urged Singaporeans to exercise caution when reading information online, so that they do not fall victim to scams.
"Do check the source of information, especially before providing personal and financial details such as credit card numbers and passwords," he added.
This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.