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Government officials will never ask you to transfer money or disclose bank log-in details over a phone call.

Call the 24/7 ScamShield Helpline at 1799 if you are unsure if something is a scam.

REACH (Reaching Everyone for Active Citizenry @ Home)

REACH's SMS Advisory

Advisory on how to verify an SMS is sent from REACH and safety precautions.

Last updated 18 December 2024

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REACH'S SMS Advisory
How can I verify that an SMS is sent from REACH?
How can I spot a fake Sender ID and SMS?
What should I do if I suspect an SMS Sender ID is spoofed?
REACH's SMS Advisory banner

REACH'S SMS Advisory

In light of the recent increase in scams and phishing attempts, it is crucial to verify and confirm that messages received are genuinely sent by an official source.

From 1 Sep 2022, REACH has started using only the Sender ID ‘MCI REACH’ to send SMS.

This Sender ID has been registered with IMDA’s SMS Sender ID Registry, and only REACH can send SMS using this Sender ID.

How can I verify that an SMS is sent from REACH?

Look at the Sender ID, REACH will only send messages using the registered Sender ID ‘MCI REACH’, as shown in the examples below.

A screenshot of the message interfaces of a phone highlighting the sender as MCI REACH.

Example 1

Another screenshot of the message interfaces of a phone highlighting the sender as MCI REACH.

Example 2

How can I spot a fake Sender ID and SMS?

  1. Sender ID contains variations that are similar to ‘MCI REACH’, such as but not limited to:

    a. MC| REACH (lowercase ‘L’, ‘1’, ‘|’ or ‘!’),

    b. mci reach (lowercase)

    c. MCI reach or mci REACH (mixed lower and upper cases)

    d. MCIREACH (without spaces)

    e. MCI-REACH or MCI_REACH (with dashes or underscore)

    f. MCI REACH or MCI REACH (double or more spaces)

    g. REACH, RAECH, REECH, REACH MCI (slight variations)

    h. (MCI REACH), [MCI REACH], {MCI REACH} (with parenthesis, square or curly brackets)

  2. The SMS contains suspicious links or URL shorteners such as but not limited to:

    a. bit.ly/wingrabvoucher

    b. tinyurl.com/winfreeprize

  3. The SMS has misspellings or poor grammar

  4. The content of the SMS is simply too good to be true e.g. just need to click the link or login to win free prizes

  5. The SMS appears in a different SMS thread or conversation from the usual sent by REACH. Refer to the two images of examples above.

What should I do if I suspect an SMS Sender ID is spoofed?

Report the suspicious SMS through our online feedback form:

  1. Go to feedback forms

  2. Fill in your name, email and mobile (optional), please submit a valid email address as we will respond to you through the email address provided.

  3. Under ‘Subject’, select ‘Verify if an SMS from REACH is legitimate’.

  4. Under 'Feedback Detail', indicate the date/time that the SMS was received, Sender ID that appears in the suspicious SMS and content of the SMS.

  5. Click ‘Submit’.

We will help to verify and respond to you.

In the meantime, do not click on any links or act on the SMS.