SINGAPORE - A 22-year-old man has been arrested in relation to a series of cheating cases where victims paid for electric scooters online but did not receive the goods, the police said in a statement on Tuesday (Sept 26).

The victims were cheated of an estimated total of $1,500, The Straits Times understands.

The police received several reports between Sept 6 and 24 from victims who said they placed their orders for e-scooters going for attractive prices on online marketplace Carousell.

After they had transferred money to the specified bank account, the seller could not be contacted and did not deliver the goods.

Officers from Ang Mo Kio Police Division identified the suspect. He was arrested on Monday along Yishun Avenue 6.

He will be charged with the offence of cheating.

If convicted, he can be jailed for up to 10 years and fined.

This is not the first time victims were cheated by sellers on Carousell.

In July, a 23-year-old man who sold several Carousell shoppers branded bags and furniture but did not deliver the goods was arrested.

That same month, a 20-year-old woman was arrested for selling bogus packages for tickets to Universal Studios Singapore and hotel staycations on Carousell.

In April, a 27-year-old man was arrested for selling discounted shopping vouchers worth less than what he promised on the same platform.

The police advised the public to adopt the following measures when shopping online:

- Be wary of people selling items for prices that sound too good to be true.

- Check the seller's track record by reading reviews of their services or contact past customers.

- Buy goods only from authorised dealers. If advanced payments are required, use shopping platforms that provide arrangements to release your payment to the seller only upon your receipt of the item.

- Bear in mind that the party that you are dealing with online is a stranger.

- Whenever possible, pay only on delivery.