The Police have arrested a 30-year-old man for his suspected involvement in a series of e-commerce scams.
Between February and June 2018, the Police received multiple reports from victims who were purportedly cheated by an online seller who was selling USS tickets, NDP tickets, concert tickets and flight vouchers. After payments were made by the victims via bank transfers, the suspect would become uncontactable.
Through follow up investigations, officers from Ang Mo Kio Police Division and Criminal Investigation Department established the identity of the man and arrested him on 6 September 2018. Mobile phones, SIM cards, a tablet and a laptop were seized as case.
The man will be charged in court on 8 September 2018 with cheating, which is punishable with an imprisonment term which may extend to 10 years, and shall also be liable to a fine.
While online shopping is convenient, the Police would like to advise members of the public to take the following precautions when shopping online:
- Bear in mind that the party you are dealing with online is a stranger. Before performing a transaction on an online shopping site, find out how the site safeguards your interest or can help you resolve disputes;
- Insist on cash on delivery especially if responding to online classified advertisements;
- If advanced payments are required, use shopping platforms that provide arrangements to only release your payment to the seller upon your receipt of the item;
- Be mindful that although culprits may provide a copy of an Identification Card or Driver’s licence to gain your trust, it may not necessarily belong to the person communicating with you online; and
- Note that scammers may use a local bank account to enhance credibility; however the owner of the account may not be the person communicating with you online.
For more information on scams, members of the public can visit scamalert.sg or call the Anti-Scam Hotline at 1800-722-6688. Anyone with information on such scams may call the Police hotline at 1800-255 0000 or submit information online at www.police.gov.sg/iwitness.
SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE
07 September 2018 @ 9:40 PM