SG police warn against scams involving online orders for devices like iPhone 14

In the first week of October alone, at least 118 people in Singapore have fallen victim to scams involving sales of iPhone. — Bloomberg

SINGAPORE: Online shoppers who come across deals from third-party resellers for popular electronic devices such as the iPhone 14 should be wary of scams, said the police.

In the first week of October alone, at least 118 people have fallen victim to scams involving sales of iPhone, with total losses amounting to at least S$389,000 (RM1.27mil).

The police on Oct 4 advised members of the public to remain vigilant, as scammers ask online buyers to make advance payments for newly released electronic devices with no intention of delivering them.

The police added that people should follow crime prevention measures such as purchasing electronic products only from authorised sellers or reputable sources, using in-built payment options that release payments to sellers only upon delivery and avoid making advance payments or direct bank transfers to sellers.

People should also be wary about scammers who offer better deals in exchange for payments being made directly to them, and to not fall for tactics where scammers show personal details in an attempt to prove that they are genuine sellers. – The Straits Times (Singapore)/Asia News Network