Man arrested for alleged hotel room booking scam

SINGAPORE - A 31-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly scamming people into making fake hotel bookings.

The police said on Wednesday (March 30) that they received a report on March 18 from someone who had come across the man's advertisement for hotel bookings on an online platform.

The person then contacted him on the messaging platform WhatsApp.

"After payment of $350 was made via bank transfer to the man, the victim allegedly failed to receive the hotel booking," the police said.

Officers from the Ang Mo Kio Police Division managed to establish the man's identity and arrested him on Wednesday.

Preliminary investigations showed he may be involved in other cases of a similar nature, the police added.

The offence of cheating carries a jail term of up to 10 years and a fine.

The police advise the public to take precautions when making online purchases.

"If the price is too good to be true, it probably is. Purchase only from authorised sellers or reputable sources, especially for high-value items," they said.

Consumers should also check with official sources such as the Singapore Tourism Board and the National Association of Travel Agents Singapore as to whether the vendor is an accredited travel agent.

They can also protect themselves by using options that release funds to the seller only upon delivery of the goods or service, the police said.

"Whenever possible, avoid making advance payments or direct bank transfers to the seller as this method does not offer any protection," they added.

"Scammers may entice buyers to contact them directly through messaging platforms such as WhatsApp or WeChat by offering a better or faster deal if bank transfer payments are made directly to them.

"They may also use a local bank account or provide a copy of an NRIC/driver's licence to make you believe that they are genuine sellers. Do not fall for it."

Those with information on such scams can call the police hotline on 1800-255-0000 or submit it at www.police.gov.sg/iwitness

More scam-related advice can be found at www.scamalert.sg or via the anti-scam hotline on 1800-722-6688.