SINGAPORE – Shoppers should think twice before buying discounted goods online from “Marina Bay Sands” (MBS), as this might be a scam.
In a Facebook post on Wednesday, the integrated resort said it was aware of Facebook pages and websites claiming to offer items from The Shoppes at MBS at reduced prices.
Checks by The Straits Times found one such Facebook page, with 10,000 followers and 10,000 likes, offering a Chanel handbag for $149 to the first hundred shoppers who snagged the deal.
Said MBS: “Please be informed that Marina Bay Sands has no affiliation and is not associated with these unauthorised pages and offers.”
On its website, MBS also cautioned users about websites and messages claiming to provide online gambling on behalf of the integrated resort, which houses one of Singapore’s two casinos.
MBS added that it does not offer any online or remote gambling services, and is not associated with any gambling websites.
The operator will also never request membership-related information or other personal identification information via text messages or by e-mail, MBS said on its website.
Those who receive suspicious-looking messages claiming to be from MBS, seeking their membership details or asking them to click on external links that do not belong to the integrated resort, should report them to the police.
Members of the public should check for signs of a scam through official sources, such as www.scamalert.sg or the anti-scam hotline on 1800-722-6688.
They can also contact MBS’ call centre to verify the authenticity of the message.
They are also advised to subscribe to ScamShield so that scam messages and calls from numbers used for illegal activities can be automatically blocked or sent to their phone’s junk folder.
In 2022, scam victims in Singapore lost a total of $660.7 million, up from $632 million in 2021.
E-commerce scams, which generally involve victims paying for products that do not get delivered, ranked third among the most frequently reported scam types in 2022.
Any fraudulent Facebook pages should be reported to the platform, the police said in a previous advisory.
The Straits Times has contacted MBS for comment.
