SINGAPORE, May 31 — More than 112 e-commerce scams, involving hotel room bookings and attraction tickets, have been reported to the police in the first four months of this year.
In an advisory today, the Singapore Police Force reminded the public to be wary when making such purchases online, especially with the June school holidays around the corner.
Tickets for Universal Studios Singapore were often highlighted in scam reports involving attraction tickets, the police added.
“Victims either did not receive the tickets or received invalid tickets after payments were made,” said the advisory.
TODAY understands that the scams occurred on Carousell and Lazada, among other online platforms.
The police advised the public to avoid making impulse buys, and to be wary of sellers advertising hotel rooms or theme park tickets at prices that seem “too good to be true”.
Buyers should also read reviews of sellers before committing to a purchase.
Police also warned that scammers may use a Singapore bank account or provide a copy of an identification card or driver's licence to try and make their scams seem more believable, but these may not really belong to the sellers.
Where possible, buyers should use shopping platforms or arrangements that release payment to sellers only when items are received, the advisory added.
For more scam-related advice, the public may call the anti-scam hotline at 1800-722-6688 or visit www.scamalert.sg.
People may also call the police helpline at 1800-255-0000 to provide information on scams, or make a report at www.police.gov.sg/iwitness. ― TODAY
