SINGAPORE - A 37-year-old man was arrested on Wednesday (May 19) for his suspected involvement in cheating more than 15 victims of over $50,000 through e-commerce scams.

In a statement on Thursday, the police said they had received several reports this month from people who were allegedly cheated by a seller on Carousell.

The seller sold limited-edition branded shoes at a discounted price.

The victims made payments to the seller through bank transfers and PayNow or PayLah, but never received their items.

Officers from the Commercial Affairs Department (CAD) worked closely with Carousell and established the identity of the seller prior to his arrest.

In a separate case, the police received a report on Sunday from a woman who discovered several unauthorised transactions on her missing credit card.

Investigations revealed that a 35-year-old man had used the credit card to make more than 30 unauthorised transactions, totalling about $9,200.

CAD officers established the identity of the man and he was arrested on Thursday.

Both men will be charged in court on Friday.

Those found guilty of cheating may be jailed up to 10 years and fined.

The police advised members of the public to keep their debit and credit cards safe with them at all times and call the bank immediately if their cards are lost or stolen.

They should also opt for an SMS notification to be sent to their mobile phone for any charges incurred on their credit or debit cards and check their bank statements regularly. If there are any discrepancies or unauthorised charges, they should alert the bank immediately.

In addition, they are also advised to be careful when making online purchases, such as opting for buyer protection by using in-built payment options that release payment to the seller only upon delivery, and purchase only from authorised sellers or reputable sources, especially for high-value items.

Anyone with information on scams may call the police hotline at 1800-255-0000 or visit this link to submit information.