Singapore man's phone hijacked after suspicious S$50,000 transaction alert

The man discovered unauthorised activity on his phone after receiving an alert about a S$50,000 transaction, which prompted him to seek help. Investigators later determined that scammers had gained remote access to his device, effectively locking him out of his own phone and preventing him from contacting his bank to report the fraud.

The breach appears to have originated from a fitness class advertisement the man's wife had encountered on Facebook. After signing him up through the ad, the registration process likely deployed malware or granted unauthorised access permissions that compromised his device security.

The incident underscores vulnerabilities in how personal information flows through social media platforms and third-party services. Cybercriminals are increasingly exploiting legitimate-looking advertisements to distribute malicious software and gain control of devices, particularly targeting older residents who may be less familiar with digital security threats.

Authorities have advised residents to verify the legitimacy of online advertisements before providing personal information or downloading associated applications. Users should also enable two-factor authentication on banking applications and remain vigilant about unexpected transaction alerts, which often signal unauthorised access attempts.