SINGAPORE - An 18-year-old teenager has been arrested for his alleged involvement in at least 11 cases of e-commerce scams selling Ed Sheeran, Maroon 5 and Blackpink concert tickets.

Victims had responded to the listings on online marketplace platform Carousell.

However, they did not receive the tickets after making payment via bank transfer.

In a statement on Thursday (April 18), the police said they received several reports from the victims between Feb 13 and March 2.

The teenager was arrested by officers from the Commercial Affairs Department on Wednesday. He is believed to have cheated victims a total of $5,400.

The suspect will be charged in court with cheating. If convicted, the teenager faces up to 10 years in jail and a fine.

In the statement, police reminded members of the public to take several precautions when shopping online:

- Bear in mind that the party you are dealing with online is a stranger. Before performing a transaction on an online shopping site, find out how the site safeguards your interests or can help you resolve disputes.

- Insist on cash on delivery especially if responding to online classified advertisements.

- If advance payments are required, use shopping platforms that provide arrangements to release your payment to the seller only upon your receipt of the item.

- Be mindful that although sellers may provide a copy of an identification card or driver's licence to gain your trust, it may not necessarily belong to the person communicating with you online.

- Scammers may use a local bank account to enhance their credibility. However, the owner of the account may not be the person communicating with you online.

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

Anyone with information on scams may call the police hotline on 1800-255-0000 or submit information online at www.police.gov.sg/iwitness