A 23-year-old male and a 25-year-old woman have been detained by the police on suspicion of participating in a series of e-commerce scams involving the purported sale of iPhone devices.
According to the press release by Singapore Police Force, the police received several reports from victims who were purportedly cheated by an online seller between 1 and 17 October 2022. The seller had advertised the sale of mobile devices such as the iPhone 14 series and iPhone 13 series models, on an e-commerce platform, Carousell.
TOOK MONEY & FAILED TO DELIVER
The man had allegedly failed to deliver the items after payments were made by the victims via PayNow or bank transfers, the police added.
Through follow-up investigations, officers from Commercial Affairs Department established the identity of the duo and arrested them on 25 October 2022 at Changi Airport upon their arrival in Singapore.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the duo is believed to be involved in at least 140 similar cases with reported losses amounting to more than $360,000, according to the press release.
The duo will be charged in court on 26 October 2022 with engaging in a criminal conspiracy to cheat under Section 420 read with Section 120B of the Penal Code 1871. The offence of cheating carries an imprisonment term of up to 10 years and a fine.
PRECAUTIONS TO TAKE
The Police advised the members of the public to take the following precautions when making online purchases:
- Purchase only from authorised sellers or reputable sources, especially for high-value items. If the price is too good to be true, it probably is.
- Opt for buyer protection 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 Telegram, WhatsApp or WeChat by offering a better or faster deal if bank transfer payments are made directly to them. They may 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!
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