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The Police have arrested two men, aged 19 and 20, for their suspected involvement in a series of e-commerce scams involving the sale of Nintendo Switch console.

Between 10 and 12 April 2020, the Police received multiple reports from victims who were purportedly cheated by online sellers who were selling Nintendo Switch console on Carousell. After payments were made by the victims via bank transfers, the sellers become uncontactable.

Through follow-up investigations and close collaboration with Carousell, officers from Commercial Affairs Department established the identities of the two men and arrested the 20-year-old and 19-year-old man on 12 April 2020 and 13 April 2020 respectively. Several handphones, SIM cards and a used Nintendo Switch console were seized as case exhibits. Preliminary investigations revealed that the men are believed to be involved in more than 80 cases of e-commerce scams involving $30,000.

The 20-year-old man will be charged in court on 14 April 2020 with cheating. The offence carries an imprisonment term which may extend to 10 years and a fine. Investigations against the 19-year-old man are ongoing.

While online shopping is convenient, the Police would like to advise members of the public to take the following precautions when shopping online:

• Opt for buyer protection by using in-built payment options that release payment to the seller only upon delivery. Whenever possible, avoid making advance payments or direct bank transfers to the seller as this method does not offer any protection.
  
  
• 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 a NRIC/driver’s licence to make you believe that they are genuine sellers.  Do not fall for it!
  
  
• 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.

For more information on scams, members of the public can visit scamalert.sg or call the Anti-Scam hotline at 1800-722-6688. Anyone with information on such scams may call the Police hotline at 1800-255 0000 or submit information online at www.police.gov.sg/iwitness.