The Police will be charging a 25-year-old man in court on 19 October 2021 for his suspected involvement in a series of e-commerce scams involving the sale of gaming chairs, gaming consoles and electronic lifestyle products.
In October 2021, the Police have received several reports from victims who were purportedly cheated by an online seller offering gaming chairs, gaming consoles and electronic lifestyle products at a discounted price on the e-commerce platform, Carousell. After payments were made by the victims via bank transfers and PayNow, they allegedly failed to receive their purchases.
Through follow-up investigations and close collaboration with Carousell, officers from the Commercial Affairs Department established the identity of the man and arrested him. He will be charged in court on 19 October 2021 with cheating under Section 420 of the Penal Code, which is punishable with an imprisonment term that may extend to 10 years and a fine.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the man is believed to have scammed more than 500 victims of more than S$400,000.
The Police take a serious view of persons who may be involved in scams and frauds, and perpetrators will be dealt with in accordance with the law. The Police would like to advise members of the public to take the following precautions when making online purchases:
- 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.
Screengrab of Carousell Listing
SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE
18 October 2021 @ 10:55 PM