The Police have arrested a 29-year-old woman for her suspected involvement in a series of cheating cases reported island-wide.
On 25 January 2023, the Police received a report from a victim who had purportedly been cheated by an online seller who had advertised the sale of frames on Instagram. After receiving a sum of about $129 via money transfer, the woman did not fulfil the delivery of the frames and became uncontactable.
Through follow-up investigations, officers from Woodlands Police Division established the identity of the woman and arrested her on 28 February 2023. The woman is believed to be involved in at least 11 other similar cases of cheating of at least $2000.
The women will be charged in court on 3 March 2023 with cheating under Section 420 of the Penal Code 1871. The offence 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
01 March 2023 @ 10:15 PM