The Police have arrested a 17-year-old teenager for his suspected involvement in a series of e-commerce scams.
In May 2019, the Police received several reports from victims who were purportedly cheated by an online seller who was selling Universal Studios Singapore tickets. The seller became uncontactable after payments were made.
Through investigations, officers from the Commercial Affairs Department established the identity of the teenager and arrested him on 6 June 2019. Preliminary investigations revealed that he is believed to be involved in at least 12 cases of e-commerce scams amounting to more than $2,600/-.
The teenager will be charged in court on 7 June 2019 with cheating, which is punishable with an imprisonment term that may extend to 10 years, and a fine.
While online shopping is convenient, the Police would like to advise members of the public to take the following precautions:
- 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 advance 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 sellers 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. Join the ‘let’s fight scams’ campaign at www.scamalert.sg/fight by signing up as an advocate to receive up-to-date messages and share them with your family and friends. 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
06 June 2019 @ 9:00 PM