SINGAPORE: A 31-year-old man was arrested on Tuesday (Jul 9) after he is believed to be involved in more than 100 e-commerce scams amounting to more than $40,000, the Singapore Police Force (SPF) said.
Between March and June, police received several reports from victims who were purportedly cheated by Carousell sellers who had listed discounted hotel rooms for booking.
AdvertisementAdvertisement"The sellers became uncontactable after the victims transferred deposit payments to their accounts," the police said in a news release on Wednesday.
Officers from the Commercial Affairs Department established his identity and the 31-year-old was arrested. Police said the scam involved other "unsuspecting Carousell users".
[h=3]READ: Online crime-busters recognised for fight against e-commerce scams[/h]"Additionally, to facilitate his scam operations, the man had deceptively presented himself as a genuine business proprietor and involved at least 10 unsuspecting Carousell users to assist in the publicity of the said listings," the police added.
AdvertisementAdvertisementThe other Carousell users involved are assisting with police investigations.
The man will be charged in court on Thursday with cheating. If found guilty, he may be jailed for up to 10 years and fined.
"Sellers should also exercise vigilance if they are approached to advertise goods and services on behalf of strangers in exchange for a fee," the police warned members of the public.
"You may unwittingly become a conduit to the commission of scams."
[h=3]READ: More than 98 reports of concert, event ticket e-commerce scams since January[/h]The police advise online shoppers to take the following steps:
- Find out how shopping platforms safeguard your interest or can help you resolve disputes, before performing a transaction through them. Note that the party you are dealing with online is a stranger.
- Insist on cash on delivery especially if responding to online classified advertisements.
- If advance payments are required, use shopping platforms that only release your payment to the seller upon your receipt of the item.
- Note that sellers may provide a copy of an identification card or driver’s licence to gain your trust, but it may not belong to the person communicating with you online.
- Note that scammers may use a local bank account to enhance their credibility, however, the owner of the account may not be the person communicating with you online.
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