Man arrested over online scams; another held for unauthorised transactions

A 37-year-old man was arrested on Wednesday 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, total-ling about $9,200.

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

Both men were charged in court yesterday. Those found guilty of cheating may be jailed up to 10 years and fined.

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

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

They should also 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 buy only from authorised sellers or reputable sources.

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