The Catholic Church in Singapore warned against a phishing scam targeting Catholics attempting to secure tickets for the Papal Mass scheduled for September 12, 2024.
SINGAPORE — The organizing committee for Pope Francis’ Apostolic journey in Singapore in September has reported that scammers have hijacked WhatsApp accounts by masquerading as contacts and offering assistance with the Mass ticket registration process.
The scam operates by gaining access to WhatsApp accounts of individuals on the victims’ contact list. The scammers, posing as trusted contacts, request the victims to generate and send a WhatsApp verification code under the guise of helping with the Mass ticket registration.
Once the scammers obtain this code, they use it to hijack the victims’ WhatsApp accounts, enabling them to access the victims’ contact lists and perpetuate the scam further.
The Archdiocese emphasized that WhatsApp, SMS, or Telegram will not be utilized for any general ticketing or balloting processes for the Papal Mass.
This phishing scam specifically targets individuals hoping to attend the Papal Mass on September 12, 2024.
To prevent falling victim to these scams, the Archdiocese advises the faithful to be vigilant and verify any suspicious communications through official channels.
Registration for the ticket ballot begins on June 24 and ends on July 31, 2024, and will only be conducted via the myCatholicSG platform.
Applicants must log in to their myCatholicSG accounts to register, and the results will be announced in August 2024 exclusively through the same platform.
For verification of any information related to the Papal Mass, individuals are encouraged to email Papalvisit2024@catholic.org.sg. Official updates and details on the ticket ballot process can be found on the website www.popefrancis2024.sg/ballot.
