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SINGAPORE, Nov 15 — A 19-year-old teen has been arrested for allegedly cheating Carousell users of some S$14,000 (RM42,600.51).
The Singapore Police Force said that between May and June this year, it received multiple reports from people purportedly cheated by sellers on the e-marketplace who were peddling Universal Studios e-tickets and Bruno Mars concert tickets.
TODAY understands that the total value of the scam is close to S$14,000.
The male suspect was arrested on Tuesday along Kallang Road.
One laptop, one tablet and four mobile phones were seized, the police said in a statement yesterday.
He will be charged in court today with abetment to cheating, which is punishable with a jail term of up to 10 years, and a fine.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the suspect could be involved in at least 60 cases of e-commerce scams. He is also believed to be in cahoots with another 19-year-old teen who was charged in court last Friday with cheating.
The police advise consumers to take precautions when shopping online.
Members of the public are advised to:
Bear in mind that the party online they are dealing with is a stranger. Before performing a transaction on an online shopping site, find out how the site safeguards shoppers’ interest or can help shoppers to resolve disputes
Insist on cash on delivery especially if responding to online classified advertisements
Use shopping platforms that provide arrangements to only release your payment to the seller upon your receipt of the item, If advanced payments are required
Be mindful that although culprits may provide a copy of an identification card or driver’s licence to gain shoppers’ trust, it may not necessarily belong to the person communicating with the shopper online
Note that scammers may use a Singapore bank account to enhance credibility, but the owner of the account may not be the person communicating with the shopper online. — TODAY
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