Police have arrested a 27-year-old man who is believed to be involved in a series of car rental scams.
Since 15 July 2015, at least 15 cases of car rental scams have been reported. In all the cases, victims had responded to car rental advertisements placed online in July 2015. The victims were told to transfer the rental deposit, ranging from $300 to $500 to a local bank account and were promised to have the car delivered to them. After collecting the money, the suspect would then become evasive and uncontactable.
Through extensive investigations and follow-up, officers from the Ang Mo Kio Division managed to establish the identity of the suspect and arrested him on 23 July 2015. Preliminary investigations revealed that the suspect had cheated at least 15 victims of more than $2,500 in total in July 2015.
Investigations against the suspect are on-going. The offence of Cheating under Section 420 of the Penal Code, Chapter 224, carries a maximum jail term of 10 years’ imprisonment and also a fine.
Members of public are advised to be prudent and cautious when dealing with unknown persons over the Internet. The police would also like to advise other victims who may have fallen prey to come forward and lodge a police report.
SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE
24 July 2015 @ 2:15 PM