The Police have arrested a 31-year-old man for his suspected involvement in a series of hotel room booking scam cases.
On 18 March 2022, the Police received a report from a victim who was purportedly cheated by the man for a hotel room booking. The victim came across the man’s purported advertisement for hotel bookings on an online platform and proceeded to liaise with the man via WhatsApp. After payment of $350 was made via bank transfer to the man, the victim allegedly failed to receive the hotel booking.
Through investigations, officers from Ang Mo Kio Police Division established the identity of the man and arrested him on 30 March 2022. Preliminary investigations revealed that the man may be involved in other similar cases.
The man will be charged in court on 31 March 2022 with cheating under Section 420 of the Penal Code 1871. The offence carries an imprisonment term of up to ten 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.
- Avoid making impulsive booking and purchase only from authorised dealer or reputable sources.
- Check with official sources such as the Singapore Tourism Board (www.stb.gov.sg) and the National Association of Travel Agents Singapore (www.natas.travel) if the vendor is an accredited travel agent.
- 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 license 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
30 March 2022 @ 11:15 PM