Das DD Targeted By Scammers Offering iPhone 17; Urges More People To Report Scams

Actor-host Das DD is starting his new year by doing what he does best.

Calling out nonsense.

The 35-year-old told his followers on Instagram about being a target of a new scam. Scammers contacted him claiming he had an outstanding payment tied to an iPhone 17 phone promotion, and up to S$350 in credits.

“New Year, new scam. So, someone just called me, and then said, “Oh, you know I got this phone line with this company, and I need to pay to get an iPhone 17 as a promotion, or something, he will give me S$350 credit,” adding that it was from a handphone number without a +65 prefix.

Definitely a red flag, if you ask us.

“I just said I will call and verify with the telephone company myself, the actual telephone company. Then he said, “No, no, no, don’t need to do all of that,'” he recounted incredulously.

After he hung up, Das proceeded to call the telephone company and confirmed that he had no number or outstanding payment with them.

“This is a scam, and they (the telephone company) have even heard about it. I went to ScamShield and I report!”

ScamShield is a Singapore government initiative set up to protect citizens from fraudulent activity and scams. People can report scams they come across via the anti-scam helpline 1799 or report it online. 

Das also revealed that he has also reported email phishing and weird SMSes on ScamShield.

For Das, civic duty doesn't just stop at reporting scams, who shared that he reports neighbourhood matters on the OneService app, a central platform for folks to report neighbourhood issues to various government agencies and town councils.

“I am the Karen of reporting, reporting, reporting. Very good, lah, Singapore. They give me so many avenues, right, to air my feelings,” he quipped.

On a more serious note, he advises anyone with older family members who may not be able to spot a scam, to tell them if anyone gets a similar call from a telephone company.

His public service announcement was a hit among netizens, with one even asking Das: “Can you do one in Mandarin so I can share with old folks?”

FYI, Das is multilingual and has shown to be proficient in Mandarin, Malay, and Tamil.

Netizens went on to share their own experiences involving scams in the comments section.

Others also wrote that they previously didn’t know there were so many avenues to report such things.