The Police have arrested a 24-year-old man who is believed to be involved in a series of e-commerce scams involving pre-orders of branded apparel.
Between 11 April 2021 and 14 June 2021, the Police received several reports of non-delivery of branded apparel, mainly T-shirts, after the victims transferred their money to the seller via PayNow. The victims purportedly came across the listings for the apparel on platforms such as Instagram or Carousell and had engaged the seller to pre-order the apparel by making payment prior to delivery.
Through investigations, officers from Bedok Police Division established the identity of the man and arrested him on 16 June 2021. Preliminary investigations revealed that the man had allegedly deceived the victims to believe that he was able to procure and deliver branded apparel, after the victims had made payments to him for pre-orders. The man is purportedly involved in other similar cases.
The man will be charged in court on 18 June 2021 with cheating under Section 420 of the Penal Code. The offence carries 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.
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
17 June 2021 @ 10:50 PM