Did you really buy a TV from Harvey Norman? Don’t let conmen fool you

Harvey Norman said on Sept 10 that it has logged 1,588 scam-related enquiries since May.

Published Sep 14, 2026, 03:45 PM

Updated Sep 14, 2026, 03:45 PM

SINGAPORE – Early in 2026, Lucas (not his real name) received a call from someone claiming to represent retail giant Harvey Norman.

Addressing him by his first name, the caller told Lucas that a TV was going to be delivered to his house. Sensing something amiss, Lucas asked the caller for his home address. The caller told Lucas, who lives in the north-east, that the TV would be delivered to Woodlands.

Lucas, who is in his 30 s, was puzzled, having made no such purchase. When Lucas replied by saying he had no such charges on his credit card, the caller said the purchase was made on an instalment plan and that it has not been charged to his card yet.

Warning Lucas that his card had been “compromised”, the caller urged Lucas to request a refund by either heading down to Tan Boon Liat Building or contacting another mobile number, which he claimed was “Harvey Norman’s WhatsApp chatbot”.

Refusing to fall for the ruse, Lucas hung up.

He is one of the hundreds, if not thousands, of residents in Singapore , who have been targeted by conmen impersonating Harvey Norman.

Responding to queries from The Straits Times, Harvey Norman said on Sept 10 that it has logged 1,588 scam-related enquiries since May . This figure excludes walk-in enquiries, the majority of which come from “middle-aged to elderly individuals”, said Harvey Norman.

Harvey Norman, which retails household appliances including TVs, fridges, washing machines and furniture, also said it has observed an increasing number of elderly customers raising concerns about the scam.

The scammers would typically make a phone call , said Harvey Norman. The individuals targeted include both its customers, as well as those who “have no prior relationship with the company” , it added.

The playbook mirrors Lucas’ case – conmen would claim the recipient bought a TV from Harvey Norman , it said.

The scammer would then talk about payment-related details , such as asking whether the recipient has noticed a deduction from their bank account, or claim that the TV was bought under an instalment plan.

In some instances, the conmen would request personal information , such as the last four digits of the recipient’s NRIC, or recite the recipient’s own personal details, some of which may be accurate, to gain the victim’s trust before asking them to verify information , said Harvey Norman.

When targets insist they did not buy the TV, they would be told to visit a Harvey Norman store for “verification” , said Harvey Norman. It noted that in recent times, recipients have also been directed to its head office at Tan Boon Liat Building.

The caller would refuse requests to escalate the call to a manager or another authorised representative.

Harvey Norman said it first became aware of this scam tactic in September 2025 . It has since issued advisories across its social media accounts and on its website.

Harvey Norman said it has observed an increasing number of elderly customers raising concerns about the scam. PHOTO: HARVEY NORMAN

Harvey Norman said it has observed an increasing number of elderly customers raising concerns about the scam.

PHOTO: HARVEY NORMAN

While the retailer has noted an increase in such incidents recently, it said that it has not received any reports of customers losing money to this scam . It acknowledged that it cannot definitively confirm financial losses but noted: “ While these individuals were not financially impacted, the scam has caused confusion, concern and unnecessary inconvenience.”

It also said that it has briefed its staff and put in place guidelines to help them identify and respond to enquiries relating to these scam calls. Harvey Norman also urged consumers to remain vigilant and to verify any suspicious calls through its official channels.

It added: “Customers should be cautious when receiving unsolicited calls from individuals claiming to represent Harvey Norman, especially if they are asked to verify personal information, banking details, identification numbers, or transactions that they do not recognise.

“Harvey Norman will never ask customers for ID and banking details when they transact with us.”

Requests to urgently confirm purchases, payment arrangements, or deliveries that the customer did not initiate should also be treated as potential red flags, it said.

Those who suspect they have received a scam call should report it to ScamShield immediately, contact their bank or relevant institutions if necessary and monitor their accounts for suspicious activity, Harvey Norman said.

People should file a police report if necessary, it added.

The Straits Times has contacted the police for more information.

Additional reporting by Andy Ng.

Daniel Lai is a journalist at the ST Now team, covering breaking news and international affairs.

Internet crimes and scams

哈维诺曼公司于9月10日表示，自5月以来，该公司已收到1588起与诈骗相关的咨询。

发布于 2026 年 9 月 14 日下午 3:45

更新于2026年9月14日下午3:45

新加坡——2026 年初，卢卡斯（化名）接到一个自称是零售巨头哈维诺曼代表的人打来的电话。

来电者直呼卢卡斯的名字，并告诉他将有一台电视机送到他家。卢卡斯感觉有些不对劲，便询问对方的家庭住址。来电者告诉住在东北部的卢卡斯，电视机将被送到兀兰。

三十多岁的卢卡斯感到困惑，因为他并没有进行过这样的消费。卢卡斯回答说他的信用卡上没有这笔费用后，对方却说这笔消费是分期付款的，所以还没有从他的卡上扣款。

来电者警告卢卡斯，他的银行卡已被“盗用”，并敦促卢卡斯前往 Tan Boon Liat 大厦或联系另一个手机号码（他声称这是“Harvey Norman 的 WhatsApp 聊天机器人”）申请退款。

卢卡斯不相信这是个骗局，挂断了电话。

他是新加坡成百上千名居民之一，这些人都是冒充哈维诺曼的骗子的目标。

针对《海峡时报》的询问，哈维诺曼于9月10日表示，自5月以来，该公司已收到1588起与诈骗相关的咨询。哈维诺曼称，该数字不包括到店咨询，而到店咨询的大部分来自“中老年人”。

销售电视、冰箱、洗衣机和家具等家用电器的哈维诺曼公司也表示，他们注意到越来越多的老年顾客对这种骗局表示担忧。

哈维诺曼公司表示，诈骗分子通常会打电话。该公司补充说，诈骗目标既包括其顾客，也包括“与该公司没有任何关系”的人。

该剧本与卢卡斯的案例如出一辙——骗子会声称收信人是从哈维·诺曼购买的电视机。

骗子随后会谈论与付款相关的细节，例如询问收款人是否注意到银行账户被扣款，或者声称电视机是分期付款购买的。

哈维·诺曼表示，在某些情况下，骗子会索要个人信息，例如收件人身份证号码的后四位数字，或者背诵收件人自己的个人信息（其中一些可能是准确的），以博取受害者的信任，然后再要求他们核实信息。

据哈维诺曼公司称，如果目标对象坚称他们没有购买电视，他们会被告知前往哈维诺曼门店进行“核实”。该公司还指出，最近，收件人也被要求前往位于陈文烈大厦的总部。

来电者会拒绝将电话转接给经理或其他授权代表的请求。

Harvey Norman表示，他们最早于2025年9月发现这种诈骗手段。此后，他们已在其社交媒体账户和网站上发布了相关警示。

哈维诺曼公司表示，他们注意到越来越多的老年顾客对这种骗局表示担忧。图片：哈维诺曼

哈维诺曼公司表示，他们注意到越来越多的老年顾客对这种骗局表示担忧。

图片：哈维·诺曼

虽然该零售商注意到近期此类事件有所增加，但表示尚未收到任何顾客因这种骗局蒙受经济损失的报告。该公司承认无法最终确认是否存在经济损失，但指出：“虽然这些人并未遭受经济损失，但这种骗局造成了混乱、担忧和不必要的麻烦。”

该公司还表示，已对员工进行相关培训，并制定了指导方针，以帮助他们识别和应对与这些诈骗电话相关的咨询。Harvey Norman 还敦促消费者保持警惕，并通过其官方渠道核实任何可疑电话。

声明还补充道：“客户在接到自称代表 Harvey Norman 的个人打来的未经请求的电话时应保持警惕，尤其是在被要求核实个人信息、银行详细信息、身份证号码或他们不认识的交易时。”

“哈维诺曼绝不会要求顾客在交易时提供身份证件和银行信息。”

报告还指出，如果客户没有主动要求紧急确认购买、付款安排或交货事宜，也应将其视为潜在的危险信号。

哈维诺曼公司表示，怀疑自己接到诈骗电话的人应立即向 ScamShield 举报，必要时联系银行或相关机构，并监控账户是否存在可疑活动。

声明还补充说，如有必要，人们应该向警方报案。

《海峡时报》已联系警方以获取更多信息。

Andy Ng亦有贡献。

Daniel Lai 是 ST Now 团队的记者，负责报道突发新闻和国际事务。

网络犯罪和诈骗