Parents beware: Scammers hijack students' WhatsApp accounts for fake youth exchange programmes, AI courses; over $18,000 lost
Parents, take note. If you've not heard your child mentioning a youth exchange programme or an artificial intelligence (AI)-related course, but you suddenly receive a message asking for payment to secure a place, stop and verify the request first.In a news release on Monday (Sept 28) night, the police said that they have received at least eight reports of such cases since September, with total losses amounting to about $18,000.According to the police, scammers gain access to students' WhatsApp accounts and impersonate them to contact their parents.They would then claim to have been selected for a youth exchange programme or AI-related course, and request payment to secure a place.To lend credibility to the scam, victims were provided with consent forms bearing the names and logos of educational institutions and government agencies. They were also provided with PayNow QR codes to make payment.