<SCAM ALERT> Public advisory on scammers impersonating IPOS staff

7 April 2022

IPOS issued a public advisory warning of scammers impersonating its staff via phone, SMS, and email. IPOS clarified it will not request personal information or payments over these channels and advised vigilance.

Be vigilant and exercise caution as scammers claiming to represent IPOS may target you via SMS, phone calls or emails.
Some members of the public have received phone calls or messages from persons purporting to be from IPOS, informing them of IP infringements, and asking for urgent clarifications or instructing them to report to our office.
IPOS will not request personal details or inform about infringement cases or direct you to make a payment over phone, SMS or emails. IPOS will also not contact you regarding any overseas IP filing. All emails from IPOS will also be from addresses ending with “@ipos.gov.sg”.
To avoid falling victim to such scams, members of the public who receive such calls should adopt the following measures:
- Do not provide the caller with your personal information like your name, or identification number.
- Be vigilant and ignore calls asking for urgent action from you.
IPOS takes such incidents seriously and has made a police report. We are working closely with the authorities on investigations to prevent further cases.
When in doubt, please check directly with IPOS at ipos_enquiry@ipos.gov.sg or 6339 8616.

Update as at 12 April 2022: The Singapore Police Force (SPF) has also issued a public advisory on this matter, and it has been reported in the news.

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY OFFICE OF SINGAPORE

7 April 2022