Beware of scam e-mail titled 'Iras Reward'

SINGAPORE - Beware of an e-mail with the subject title "Iras Reward" as it is part of a circulating scam, warned the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (Iras).

The e-mail asks recipients to click on an attached link to fill in a form on a website which would enable them to claim cash rewards. But both the e-mail and the website are fake, said the Iras on Tuesday.

The agency made a police report on Tuesday morning and is investigating the source of the scam after receiving feedback from about 10 people who had received such e-mail.

Members of the public are advised not to respond to the e-mail, click on its hyperlink or provide personal information. The authority also urged those who receive suspicious e-mail, letters, SMSes or phone calls claiming to be from Iras to immediately e-mail iras@iras.gov.sg or call 1800 356 8225 to verify their authenticity.

It is rare for government agencies to be used in e-mail scams, said Mr Terrence Tang, regional director for digital marketing and consumer business at Trend Micro.

It is "not very believable that a government agency would send out e-mail promotions without an official announcement, unless it's the tax season", he said. "It is typically the financial institutions that are targeted because the scammers also want banking information."

Iras is not the first such case, however. The Singapore Police Force was a victim last month, when an unknown source sent out e-mail with the police logo which turned out to be part of a lottery scam.

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