Man arrested for selling fake Rolex watches on Facebook Marketplace

A 25-year-old man was arrested for his suspected involvement in a series of e-commerce scams involving the purported sale of fake Rolex watches, said police.

Between May and October 2022, the police received several reports from victims who were purportedly cheated by an online seller, who had allegedly advertised the sale of Rolex watches via Facebook Marketplace.

The man was believed to have met with the victims and handed over fake Rolex watches upon receiving their payments via PayNow.

Through investigations, officers from Ang Mo Kio Police Division established the identity of the man and arrested him on Oct 13.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the man is believed to be involved in other similar cases with losses amounting to more than $88,000.

The man was to be charged in court on Oct 15 with cheating, which carries an imprisonment term of up to 10 years and a fine.

You are advised to take the following precautions when making online purchases:

• If the price is too good to be true, it probably is. Purchase only from authorised sellers or reputable sources, especially for high-value items.
• Opt for buyer protection by using in-built payment options that release payment to the seller only upon delivery, so that you can verify the authenticity of the item sold first. Whenever possible, avoid making advance payments or direct bank transfers to the seller as this method does not offer any protection.
• Scammers may entice buyers to contact them directly through messaging platforms such as WhatsApp or WeChat by offering a better or faster deal if bank transfer payments are made directly to them. They may also use a local bank account or provide a copy of an NRIC or driver’s license to make you believe that they are genuine sellers. Do not fall for it.

For more information on scams, members of the public can visit scamalert.sg or call the Anti-Scam Hotline at 1800-722-6688.

Anyone with information on such scams may call the Police Hotline at 1800-255-0000 or submit information online at www.police.gov.sg/iwitness.