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The police have arrested four teenagers, aged 16 and 17, for their suspected involvement in a series of scam cases that took place on local e-marketplace Carousell.

Seller advertised Rolex watches on Carousell

On Apr. 26 and 27, the police received multiple reports from victims, who said that they were cheated by an online seller who advertised Rolex watches for sale on Carousell.

According to a May 4 police news release, the victims were allegedly told by the seller to transfer deposit payments totalling S$2,000 to the seller through PayNow.

After the payments were received, the seller purportedly became uncontactable.

Through investigations, officers from Bedok Police Division established the identity of the seller and arrested the four teenagers involved in the scam on May 3 and 4.

Investigations against the teenagers are ongoing.

The offence of cheating is punishable under Section 420 of the Penal Code, and carries a prison term of up to 10 years and a fine.

Police advisory

In the news release, the police advised members of public to take the following precautions when making online purchases:

• 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.
• 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.

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.

Top image via Sabrinna Ringquist on Unsplash.