The Police have arrested a 27-year-old man and a 24-year-old woman who are believed to be involved in multiple cases of online purchase scams.
Since April 2016, the Police had received numerous reports from victims who responded to online advertisements purportedly selling various items such as luxury bags, watches, apparels, household items and Universal Studios Singapore tickets. After the victims had made payments ranging from $20 to $300 to the bank accounts provided by the suspects, they did not receive the items. The total amount involved was over $11,000.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the suspects had used the bank accounts of acquaintances to receive payments from the victims to avoid detection.
Officers from Jurong Division conducted extensive investigations and established the identities of the suspects, who were subsequently arrested along Kallang Road on 2 March 2017.
Investigations against the duo are ongoing. Anyone found guilty of the offence of Cheating under Section 420 of the Penal Code, Chapter 224 may be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend up to 10 years, and shall be liable to a fine.
Members of the public are advised to adopt the following measures to avoid falling prey to online purchase scams:
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Make your online purchases only from reputable vendors;
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If advanced payments are necessary, only transact with people you know and trust;
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Check that the person or company you are buying from is physically located where they claim to be;
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Check the company or seller’s track record. Make enquiries with the clients and customers about the service they received from the seller;
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Never give your bank account numbers, credit card numbers and personal information to anyone you do not know or have not checked out;
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Do not provide any information that is not necessary to make the purchase; and
Be mindful that scammers may use a local bank account for the transaction to enhance their credibility. The owner of the bank account may not be the person communicating with you online.For more information on scams, members of the public can visit scamalert.sg or call the Anti-Scam Hotline at 1800-722-6688.
SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE
03 March 2017 @ 6:30 PM