The Police have arrested a 20-year-old man for his suspected involvement in a case of sexual services scam.
On 6 April 2021, the Police received a report from a victim who had responded to an advertisement posted on Locanto for sexual services. After payments were made via bank transfer, the other party allegedly became uncontactable.
Through investigations, officers from the Commercial Affairs Department established the identity of the man and arrested him on 22 April 2021. Preliminary investigations revealed that the man is believed to have masqueraded as a woman on the online platform, Locanto, to cheat victims. He is believed to be involved in more than 30 cases of scams.
The man will be charged in court on 24 April 2021 with cheating under Section 420 of the Penal Code. The offence carries an imprisonment term that may extend to ten years, and a fine.
The Police take a serious view of persons who may be involved in scams, and perpetrators will be dealt with in accordance with the law.
Members of the public are advised to adopt the following crime prevention measures:
- Be wary of friend requests or online listings offering escort, massage or sexual services, as they may be fraudulent in nature;
- Scammers may employ scare tactics to threaten victims into making more payments. Remain calm and do not accede to their requests; and
- Do not give out your personal details such as your credit card information freely.
If you wish to provide any information relating to such cases, 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’.
For scam-related advice, please call the National Crime Prevention Council’s anti-scam helpline at 1800-722-6688 or visit 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 scam victim.
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SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE
23 April 2021 @ 10:30 PM