Man arrested for suspected involvement in e-commerce scams which cost victims over $6,100

A 22-year-old man has been arrested for his suspected involvement in a series of e-commerce scams, involving the purported sale of Zouk Out tickets and Pokémon cards.

The police said in a statement on Thursday (Oct 6) that they received several reports from victims between March and August in 2022 who were purportedly cheated by an online seller.

The seller had advertised the sale of Zouk Out tickets and Pokémon cards on instant-messaging platform Telegram and e-commerce platform Carousell.

The man allegedly failed to deliver the items after payments were made by the victims via PayNow or bank transfers.

Officers established the identity of the man and arrested him on Wednesday (Oct 5).

Preliminary investigations revealed that the man is believed to be involved in 18 similar cases with reported losses amounting to more than $6,100.

Two ATM cards and one mobile phone were seized as case exhibits.

The man will be charged in court on Friday (Oct 7) with cheating.

The offence carries a jail term of up to 10 years and a fine.

The police advise members of the public to take the following precautions when making online purchases:

1. 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.

2. Opt for buyer protection by using in-built payment options that release payment to the seller only upon delivery. Whenever possible, avoid making advance payments or direct bank transfers to the seller as this method does not offer any protection.

3. Scammers may entice buyers to contact them directly through messaging platforms such as Telegram, 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 a NRIC/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.