SINGAPORE - The police on Friday (March 19) warned consumers about e-commerce scams involving the sale of electronic gadgets on Carousell where the scammer allegedly claims to offer retail services verified by the government.

The seller would purportedly provide a fake police report to support the claim, the police added.

In these cases, the seller would direct victims to transact outside of the online shopping platform and communicate over the messaging app Telegram instead.

Victims were instructed to transfer payment to a bank account number given by the seller before the delivery of the goods.

Victims learnt that they were scammed when they allegedly failed to receive their goods and the seller became unresponsive.

The police reminded people that government agencies do not endorse commercial entities and such police reports are forged.

When in doubt, they should verify the authenticity of the police report by contacting the relevant police station.

"If the price is too good to be true, it probably is," the police added.

To avoid getting scammed, buyers should purchase only from authorised sellers or sources, especially for high-value items.

They are also advised to transact on the main verified e-commerce platform and use in-built payment options that release payment to the seller only upon delivery. They should also verify the seller's profile through customer reviews and ratings.

Those with information related to such crimes or are in doubt should call the police hotline on 1800-255-0000, or submit it online.

For more information on scams, members of the public can visit scamalert.sg or call the Anti-Scam Hotline on 1800-722-6688.