What was supposed to be a Christmas treat became an ordeal when a 43-year-old man fell victim to a scam advertisement circulating on TikTok.
He lost approximately S$3,000.
TikTok scam
Speaking to Mothership, the victim (who wanted to be known only as Jeff) said he had been scrolling through his TikTok feed when he came across an advertisement.
Using the moniker “Crabs & Burgers”, the page running the advertisement offered a 50 per cent discount on several of its dishes, including its “award-winning black pepper crab”.
It also promised “express Singapore delivery” in 25 to 50 minutes.
Enticed, Jeff clicked the “Visit Store” button, which led him to a mobile site with a Singapore address and phone number.
He then placed his order, which amounted to S$56.34, and filled in his contact and Maybank debit card details.
Scammed of S$3,000
The website then prompted him to input his One-Time Password (OTP), which he did.
However, upon doing so, the website informed him that the OTP had expired.
He then received two SMSes in quick succession from Maybank, informing him that two deductions — of PLN9,260 (S$2,852) and PLN5,826.75 (S$1,795) — had been made.
His suspicions aroused, Jeff decided to check his bank account and saw that the deductions had indeed been made.
Within a minute, he called Maybank, which subsequently blocked his bank account and advised him to make a police report.
“But the bank told me the amount is already out,” Jeff told Mothership.
Used a fake address
Upon investigation, the address in Crabs & Burgers’ website was found to be that of a UOB branch.
Calls to the listed phone number also did not go through.
Moreover, there does not appear to be a restaurant using the name “Crabs & Burgers” in Singapore, although there is one with the similar name “Crab & Burger”.
According to Jeff, the day after the incident, he reached out to Crab & Burger (the legitimate restaurant) informing them of the scam and advising them to warn their customers.
The restaurant has done so.
Both parties have also made police reports, and the police confirmed to Mothership that investigations are ongoing.
Image from Crab & Burger/FB
In addition, both parties also reported the advertisement to TikTok.
As of Dec. 27, two separate advertisements for Crabs & Burgers remain online, although it appears that they no longer direct users to the fraudulent website.
The advertisements were posted under the display name “Crabs & Burgers”.
Here’s what the ads look like:
Aftermath
The loss of the money was a significant blow, Jeff told Mothership.
“Cos of family expenses, and my mum is hospitalised often…last month and this month she was admitted twice,” he said.
He added that the advertisement seemed “totally legit” to him, and that he never expected to fall victim to a scam.
“I hope TikTok does something because on that platform, very easily people will fall for it,” he added.
Mothership has contacted TikTok for comment.
Top image courtesy of Jeff
