The Police have arrested a 23 year-old man who is believed to be involved in a series of e-commerce scams involving the pre-order of PlayStation 5 consoles.
On 30 January 2021, the police received a report where a victim entered an agreement to pre-order PlayStation 5 console via Carousell and the seller purportedly became uncontactable after a deposit of $200 has been made.
Through investigations, officers from Bedok Police Division established the identity of the man and arrested him on 1 February 2021. Preliminary investigations revealed that the said man had allegedly deceived the victim to believe that he was able to procure the PlayStation 5 console for him after he had made the deposit. The man is purportedly involved in other similar cases.
Police investigations are ongoing. The offence of cheating under Section 420 of the Penal Code is punishable with an imprisonment term that may extend 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:
- 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.
- 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!
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
02 February 2021 @ 1:50 PM