SGH warns public of fake ads promoting health products using its logo

Singapore General Hospital (SGH) has come forward to warn the public of fake advertisements using its logo.

In a Facebook post, SGH said that advertisements on social media platforms are using its logo to promote health products. Accompanying the post was a collage of four advertisements promoting products such as eye drops that can solve astigmatism, a blood sugar test machine and more. 

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"It has come to our attention that advertisements on social media platforms are using the SGH logo to promote their product. Fake ads are created by cybercriminals with the intent of impersonating a brand for scam," said SGH in a statement. 

"SGH does not promote, advertise, or endorse any particular brand or product in accordance with the Healthcare Services Act," it added. 

The hospital advises those interested in buying health products online to speak to their doctor to find out if the product is suitable for them and to avoid purchasing from unfamiliar or dubious sources. It added that the public should not be fooled by false claims. 

Scams in Singapore continue to be a key concern. In 2023, the number of scam and cybercrime cases increased by 49.6% to 50,376 in 2023, according to the Singapore Police Force. 

Job scams, e-commerce scams, fake friend call scams, phishing scams and investment scams also remain the top five scam types of concern in 2023. 

In fact, the number of eCommerce scams doubled from 4,762 cases in 2022 to 9,783 in 2023. These scams generally involve the sale of goods and services online, which are not delivered after payment has been made. 

According to the Inter-Ministry Committee on Scams' (IMCS) eCommerce Marketplace Transaction Safety Ratings (TSR) 2024, 50% of eCommerce scams reported in 2023 were perpetrated on Facebook, where the number of cases surged to 4,550 from 1,138 in 2022. Carousell comes in second with 2,476 cases followed by Telegram with 787 cases. 

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