The Police have arrested a 37-year-old man for his suspected involvement in a series of e-commerce scams involving the sale of branded shoes.
In May 2021, the Police received several reports from victims who were purportedly cheated by an online seller selling limited edition branded shoes at a discounted price on Carousell. After payments were made by the victims via bank transfers and PayNow or Paylah, the seller purportedly did not deliver the items.
Through investigations and close collaboration with Carousell, officers from the Commercial Affairs Department established the identity of the man and arrested him on 19 May 2021. Preliminary investigations revealed that the man is believed to have cheated more than 15 victims of more than $50,000.
The man will be charged in court on 21 May 2021 with cheating under Section 420 of the Penal Code, Chapter 224, which 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 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 and to adopt the following crime prevention measures:
- 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.
- 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 or 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.
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SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE
20 May 2021 @ 7:50 PM