The Police have arrested a 16-year-old teenager for his suspected involvement in a series of e-commerce scams involving the sales of Sony PlayStation 4 console.
Between late April and early May 2020, the Police received several reports from victims who were purportedly cheated by online sellers who were selling Sony PlayStation 4 consoles on Carousell. After payments were made by the victims via bank transfers, the seller become uncontactable.
Through follow-up investigations, officers from the Commercial Affairs Department established the identity of the teenager and arrested him on 4 May 2020. Preliminary investigations revealed that the teenager is believed to be involved in at least ten cases of e-commerce scams involving $1,800.
Police investigations against the teenager are ongoing. The offence of cheating under Section 420 of the Penal Code, Chapter 224, is punishable with an imprisonment term of up to 10 years, and a fine.
The Police take a serious view of persons who may be involved in scams and frauds, and perpetrators will be dealt with, in accordance with the law. The Police would like to advise members of the public to be very careful when making online purchases:
- 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.
- 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 the price is too good to be true, it probably is. Purchase only from authorised sellers or reputable sources, especially for high-value items.
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
05 May 2020 @ 2:45 PM