Woman, 20, arrested over cheating cases involving K-pop merchandise

A 20-year-old woman was arrested on Monday (Aug 16) for her suspected involvement in a series of cheating cases.

The police received a report on August 14 from a victim who was purportedly cheated by a seller selling K-pop merchandises on Telegram.

"After making payment via PayLah, the victim allegedly did not receive the merchandises as promised," police added.

Through investigations, officers from Ang Mo Kio Police Division established the woman's identity and arrested her.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the woman is believed to be involved in several other similar cheating cases.

The woman will be charged in court on Tuesday with cheating, which carries an imprisonment term that may extend to ten years and a fine.

The police advised members of the public 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. 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 a NRIC/driver’s licence to make you believe that they are genuine sellers. Do not fall for it!

For more information on scams, you 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.