21-year-old online seller who went MIA after collecting payment for PC games arrested

A 21-year-old man who advertised the sale of computer games and became uncontactable after receiving payment has been arrested for his suspected involvement in several cases of cheating.

Between Sep 1 Oct 6 this year, the police received several reports from victims who were purportedly cheated by the seller.

After payments were made by the victims, they did not receive any items. The suspect then became uncontactable.

Following extensive investigations, officers from Clementi Police Division established the suspect's identity and arrested him on Nov 29 at Fernvale Link.

Police investigations are ongoing.

Anyone found guilty of cheating may be punished with a jail term of up to ten years, and are also liable to a fine.

Members of the public are advised to adopt the following crime prevention measures to avoid falling prey to online purchase scams:

a) Do not share your PIN number, bank account number, One-Time Passwords, or SMS-verification codes with anyone;

b) Before performing a transaction, find out how the online site safeguards your interest or can help you resolve disputes;

c) Check the seller’s track record by reading reviews or contacting previous customers;

d) Purchase tickets only from authorised sellers, and take note of the terms and conditions of the ticket sale;

e) 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.

To seek scam-related advice, you may call the anti-scam helpline at 1800-722-6688 or go to www.scamalert.sg.