Scammers tend to leverage the popularity of upcoming phone releases to cheat victims who are eager to lay their hands on the latest phone models, especially those from Apple and Samsung. Between January and December 2019, the Police received at least 1,400 reports of e-commerce scams involving electronics, of which, more than half were attributed to mobile phones. Victims typically fell prey to bogus offers that were advertised on online shopping platforms and did not receive the phones after payments were made.
Members of the public are advised to adopt the following crime prevention measures:
· Don’t be impulsive – Be wary of online advertisements of mobile phones at cheap prices that sound too good to be true. As far as possible, purchase only from authorised sellers.
· 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 – Avoid making payments or deposits in advance. If advance payments are required, use shopping platforms or arrangements that release your payment to the seller only upon receipt of the item. Alternatively, arrange to meet the seller prior to making any payment.
If you wish to provide any information related to such crimes, please call the Police hotline at 1800-255-0000, or submit it online at www.police.gov.sg/iwitness. For urgent Police assistance, please dial ‘999’.
You may call the anti-scam helpline at 1800-722-6688 or go to www.scamalert.sg for scam-related advice. 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
14 February 2020 @ 10:00 AM