The police have arrested a 25 year-old male for his suspected involvement in a series of cheating cases.
On 8 July 2020, the Police received a report from a victim who had been cheated by a seller who sold virtual game credits through a Facebook Group. After payments were made by the victims via PayNow, the seller went uncontactable and the game credits were not delivered.
Through follow-up investigations, officers from Bedok Police Division established the identity of the man and arrested him on 22 July 2020. Further investigations revealed that the man is involved in several other cheating cases.
The accused will be charged in court on 24 July 2020 with cheating under Section 420 of the Penal Code. The offence is punishable with an imprisonment term of up to 10 years, and a fine.
The police would like to advise members of the public to take the following precautions when making online purchases:
- 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. 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
23 July 2020 @ 9:18 PM