The Police have arrested two men, both aged 20, for a series of e-commerce scams.
Between 21 and 30 October 2019, the Police have received several reports from victims who were purportedly cheated by an online seller who listed second hand Nintendo Switch games with substantial discounts on Carousell. The seller became uncontactable after the victims transferred the payments to his account.
Through investigations, officers from Bedok Police Division established the identities of the two men and arrested them on 4 November 2019. Preliminary investigations revealed that both men are believed to be involved in at least six cases of e-commerce scams amounting to about $350.
Investigations are ongoing. Anyone convicted for cheating under Section 420 of the Penal Code may be punished with an imprisonment term, which may extend up to 10 years, and shall also be liable to a fine.
Members of the public are advised to adopt the following crime prevention measures:
- Don’t be impulsive – Be wary of online advertisements at cheap prices that sound too good to be true! Do not buy on impulse. Read the reviews of the seller before committing to a purchase.
- Don’t believe – Scammers may 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!
- Don’t give – As you are dealing with strangers, avoid making payments or deposits in advance. Try to use shopping platforms/arrangements that release your payment to the seller only upon receiving the item. Alternatively, arrange to meet the seller and pay only after collecting the item.
If you wish to provide any information related to such scams, please call the Police hotline at 1800-255-0000, or submit it online at www.police.gov.sg/iwitness. If you require urgent Police assistance, please dial ‘999’.
To seek scam-related advice, you may call the anti-scam helpline at 1800-722-6688 or go to www.scamalert.sg. Join the ‘let’s fight scams’ campaign at www.scamalert.sg/fight by signing up as an advocate to receive up-to-date messages and share them with your family and friends. Together, we can help stop scams and prevent our loved ones from becoming the next victim of scam.
SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE
04 November 2019 @ 10:25 PM