The Police would like to alert members of the public to an uptick in e-commerce scams involving the sale of Pokémon Trading Cards on Carousell and Facebook. Since January 2025, at least 53 cases were reported with total losses amounting to at least $163,000.
In this variant, victims encounter listings of Pokémon Trading cards on Carousell and Facebook. When the victims expressed their interest in the products, culprits would convince the victims to continue their correspondence on messaging platforms such as Telegram and WhatsApp. Upon confirmation of their orders, the victims would make payment via PayNow or bank transfers to purchase the products. Victims would realise that they had been scammed when they did not receive the products, or when sellers became uncontactable.
We would like to remind members of the public to exercise caution when buying products from non-authorised platforms. Keep communications within the platform and transact in person so that you can inspect the products before making payment. Be wary of e-commerce scam red flags such as large discounts for faster transactions. Do not transfer money to anyone you do not know. Never disclose your personal information, internet banking or One-Time passwords to anyone.
Members of the public are encouraged to adopt the following crime prevention measures:
- ADD – Add the ScamShield app to block and filter SMSes. Set up security features to your payment accounts.
- CHECK – Check for scam signs with official sources (e.g. call the ScamShield Helpline at 1799, use the ScamShield app or visit www.scamshield.gov.sg), or with someone you trust.
- TELL – Tell the authorities as well as your family and friends if or when you encounter scams. Report any suspicious listing or user profile through an in-app reporting function within Carousell and Facebook. Initiate in-app blocking within these platforms to block unwanted communication by suspicious users. If you suspect that you have fallen victim to a scam, call your bank immediately to report and block any fraudulent transactions as well as make a police report.
If you are in doubt, call the 24/7 ScamShield Helpline at 1799 to check. For more information on scams, members of the public can visit www.scamshield.gov.sg. Fighting scams is a community effort. Together, we can ACT Against Scams to safeguard our community!
Annex A
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SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE
06 February 2025 @ 5:45 PM