The Police would like to alert the public of a spike in e-commerce scams involving the sale of electronic products. Between January and March 2020, the Police have received at least 531 of such reports, with total losses amounting to at least $380k. As compared to the same period in 2019, this has registered an increase of 129.9% in the number of reports received and an increase of 43.9% in the total amount lost.
Breakdown of type of electronics products involved in e-commerce scams between 1 Jan – 31 Mar 2020
Between 1 January 2020 and 29 February 2020, the Police received several reports from victims who had purchased Grab credits and Apple iPhones at discounted prices on Carousell. After deposit payments were made by the victims via bank transfers, the seller became uncontactable. Officers from the Commercial Affairs Department managed to establish the identity of the seller and arrested him on 11 March 2020.
With the implementation of the COVID-19 circuit breaker, many people are now working from home, and students are on full Home-Based Learning. The Police would like to remind the public to adopt the following crime prevention measures when they purchase electronic products online :
a) If the price is too good to be true, it probably is. Purchase only from authorised sellers or reputable sources, especially for high-value items.
b) Opt for buyer protection by using in-built payment options that release payment to the seller only upon delivery. Whenever possible, avoid making advance payments or direct bank transfers to the seller as this method does not offer any protection.
c) Scammers may entice buyers to contact them directly through messaging platforms such as WhatsApp or WeChat by offering a better or faster deal if bank transfer payments are made directly to them. They may also use a local bank account or provide a copy of a NRIC/driver’s licence to make you believe that they are genuine sellers. Do not fall for it!
If you wish to provide any information related to such scams, please call the Police hotline at 1800-255-0000, or submit it online at www.police.gov.sg/iwitness. If you require urgent Police assistance, please dial ‘999’.
To seek scam-related advice, you may call the anti-scam helpline at 1800-722-6688 or go to www.scamalert.sg. 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. Together, we can help stop scams and prevent our loved ones from becoming the next victim of scam.
SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE
21 April 2020 @ 3:30 PM