The Police have arrested a 20-year-old man for his suspected involvement in a series of e-commerce scams.
Between November and December 2018, the Police received multiple reports from victims who were purportedly cheated by an online seller who was selling Zoukout tickets and concert tickets on an online platform Carousell. After payments were made by the victims via bank transfers, the seller became uncontactable.
Officers from the Commercial Affairs Department established the identity of the man and arrested him on 21 December 2018. Preliminary investigations revealed that the man is believed to be involved in more than 10 cases of e-commerce scams.
The man will be charged in court on 22 December 2018 with cheating which is punishable with an imprisonment term that may extend to 10 years, and a fine.
While online shopping is convenient, the Police would like to advise members of the public to take the following precautions:
- Bear in mind that the party you are dealing with online is a stranger. Before performing a transaction on an online shopping site, find out how the site safeguards your interest or can help you resolve disputes;
- Insist on cash on delivery especially if responding to online classified advertisements;
- If advanced payments are required, use shopping platforms that provide arrangements to only release your payment to the seller upon your receipt of the item;
- Be mindful that although sellers may provide a copy of an identification card or driver’s licence to gain your trust, it may not necessarily belong to the person communicating with you online; and
- Note that scammers may use a local bank account to enhance credibility; however the owner of the account may not be the person communicating with you online.
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.
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SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE
21 December 2018 @ 9:10 PM