The Police have arrested a 37-year-old man for his suspected involvement in a series of cheating cases related to social media impersonation scams.
On 28 January 2023, the Police received a report from a victim who had purportedly been cheated by an online acquaintance made over a social media platform. The scammer allegedly used a display picture of another acquaintance known to the victim, in order to borrow $190 from the victim.
Through follow-up investigations, officers from Woodlands Police Division established the identity of the man and arrested him on 20 February 2023. Preliminary investigations revealed that he is believed to be involved in three other similar cases of scam island-wide. Police investigations against the man are ongoing.
The offence of cheating under Section 420 of the Penal Code 1871 carries an imprisonment term of up to 10 years and a fine.
The Police would like to advise members of the public to take the following precautions when engaging online services:
- If the price is too good to be true, it probably is. Only engage service providers from reputable sources.
- Whenever possible, avoid making advance payments or direct bank transfers to the service providers.
- Scammers may entice buyers to make deposits before the services are provided, and they may also use a local bank account or provide a copy of a NRIC/driver’s licence 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 www.scamalert.sg or call the Anti-Scam Hotline at 1800-722-6688. Anyone with information related to such scams may call the Police hotline at 1800-255-0000 or submit information online at www.police.gov.sg/iwitness.
SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE
21 February 2023 @ 9:40 PM