The police said in a statement on Thursday (May 5) that they received several reports from people who were purportedly cheated after placing orders for graphics cards with the man on Carousell. — Prison photo created by rawpixel.com - www.freepik.com
SINGAPORE: A 19-year-old man allegedly linked to a series of ecommerce scams involving graphics cards has been arrested.
The police said in a statement on Thursday (May 5) that they received several reports from people who were purportedly cheated after placing orders for graphics cards with the man on Carousell.
A graphics card is used by gamers, and photo and video editors to enable computers to display improved graphics by quickly rendering images, video and animations.
The victims did not receive their items after making payments via PayNow.
The police established the man’s identity and arrested him on Thursday.
Preliminary investigations showed that he is also allegedly involved in at least nine other cheating cases, in which victims lost at least S$12,000 (RM37,873), the police said.
The man will be charged in court on Friday with cheating. The offence carries a jail term of up to 10 years and a fine.
The police advise the public to take 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,” they said.
Consumers can also protect themselves by using options that release funds to the seller only upon delivery of the goods or service, the police said.
“Whenever possible, avoid making advance payments or direct bank transfers to the seller as this method does not offer any protection,” they added.
“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 an NRIC or driver’s licence to make you believe that they are genuine sellers.” – The Straits Times (Singapore)/Asia News Network
