Man, 20, posed as woman on Locanto to cheat victims in over 30 cases of sexual services scam

A 20-year-old man was arrested after allegedly posing as a woman online to cheat victims who responded to his advertisement for sexual services.

The police said they received a report on April 6, from a victim who had responded to an advertisement posted on Locanto for sexual services.

"After payments were made via bank transfer, the other party allegedly became uncontactable," the police added.

Through investigations, officers from the Commercial Affairs Department established the suspect's identity and arrested him on Thursday (April 22).

Preliminary investigations revealed that the man is believed to have masqueraded as a woman on online platform Locanto to cheat victims.

He is believed to be involved in more than 30 cases of scams.

The man was charged in court on Saturday with cheating, which carries a jail term of up to ten years and a fine.

The police said they take a serious view of anyone who may be involved in scams, and "perpetrators will be dealt with in accordance with the law."

Members of the public are advised to adopt the following crime prevention measures:

• Be wary of friend requests or online listings offering escort, massage or sexual services, as they may be fraudulent in nature;

• Scammers may employ scare tactics to threaten victims into making more payments. Remain calm and do not accede to their requests; and

• Do not give out your personal details such as your credit card information freely.

If you wish to provide any information relating to such cases, please call the police hotline at 1800-255-0000, or submit it online at www.police.gov.sg/iwitness.

For urgent police assistance, dial '999'.

For scam-related advice, you may call the National Crime Prevention Council’s anti-scam helpline at 1800-722-6688 or visit www.scamalert.sg.