Stomper cheated of $818 in hotel scam: Seller restricted from Carousell amid investigations

Online marketplace Carousell has restricted a seller who allegedly duped a user into paying $818 for a non-existent hotel reservation.

Stomper A earlier shared how he came across the woman, known as J, advertising staycations at five-star hotels from as low as $294 per day.

The Stomper, who paid $818 for a 3D2N stay for Jan 29 to Jan 30, said that the seller was reassuring and receptive to his requests.

"Turns out it was all empty promises," said the Stomper, who arrived at the hotel to check in, only to be told that his booking had yet to be paid for. He ended up paying for the hotel stay out of his own pocket.

The police confirmed with Stomp that a report was lodged and said they are looking into the matter.

In response to a Stomp query, a Carousell spokesman said: "We have reached out to the seller to investigate the dispute. The seller is currently restricted from our marketplace, until our investigations to resolve the transactions are conclusive.

"Fraud and scams are an industry wide challenge, and we often urge users to be careful when transacting on the app. Users can also review sellers’ profile, where we have a rating system, before confirming a deal.

"To ensure a safe transaction, we encourage users to keep their conversations on the app as we have systems in place that can help to detect fraudulent behaviour.

"Upon receiving reports related to suspicious accounts and listings, we will immediately and actively investigate.

"We will not hesitate to work with the authorities to exchange information and ban users who engage in fraudulent activities from our platform."