The Police have arrested a 14-year-old youth for his suspected involvement in a series of cheating cases.
On 6 March 2018, Police received a report from a victim who was cheated by a seller who sold virtual game accessories on Carousell. After payment of $370 was transferred to a bank account, the victim was unable to contact the seller and did not receive the virtual game accessories.
Officers from Tanglin Police Division conducted investigations and established the identity of the 14-year-old suspect. He is believed to be involved in similar cases of the online scam.
Investigations are ongoing.
Any person found guilty for the offence of cheating may be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend up to 10 years, and shall also be liable to a fine.
Members of the public are advised to adopt the following measures to avoid falling victim to online purchase scams:
- Make your online purchases only from reputable vendors;
- If advanced payments are necessary, only transact with people you know and trust.
- Check that the person or company you are buying from is physically located where they claim to be.
- Check the company or seller’s track record. Make enquiries with the clients and customers about the service they received from the seller.
- Never give your bank account numbers, credit card numbers and personal information to anyone you do not know or have not checked out.
- Do not provide any information that is not necessary to make the purchase.
- Do be mindful that scammers may use a local bank account for the transaction to enhance their credibility. The owner of the bank account may not be the person communicating with you online.
- To seek scam-related advice, you may call the anti-scam helpline at 1800-722-6688 or visit www.scamalert.sg.
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