Man arrested for series of hotel booking scams on Carousell amounting to more than $40,000
A 31-year-old man was arrested on Tuesday (July 9) for his suspected involvement in a series of e-commerce hotel room scams.
The police said in a statement that they received several reports between March and June this year from victims who were purportedly cheated by online sellers who listed discounted bookings at hotels for sale on Carousell.
The sellers then became uncontactable after the victims transferred deposit payments to their accounts.
Officers from the Commercial Affairs Department established the identity of the man and arrested him.
He is believed to be involved in more than 100 cases of e-commerce scams amounting to more than $40,000.
"Additionally, to facilitate his scam operations, the man had deceptively presented himself as a genuine business proprietor and involved at least 10 unsuspecting Carousell users to assist in the publicity of the said listings," the police said.
The other Carousell users involved are assisting with police investigations.
The man will be charged in court on Thursday (July 11) with cheating.
If found guilty, he may face up to 10 years' jail and a fine.
Police advised members of the public to remain vigilant in guarding against such scams, especially if they are approached by strangers to advertise their goods and services in exchange for a fee.
Shoppers should insist on cash on delivery or only releasing advance payments to sellers upon receiving the receipt of the items they bought.
The public can also visit www.scamalert.sg or call the anti-scam hotline on 1800-722-6688 if they have any concerns.
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