--- title: "Man loses $100 in deposits to ‘reserve’ iPhone 18 Pro Max, Carousell suspends seller’s account" url: "/singapore-seen/man-loses-100-deposits-reserve-iphone-18-pro-max-carousell-suspends-sellers-account" published: "2026-10-19T09:00:14.000Z" updated: "2026-10-19T09:00:14.000Z" section: "Singapore Seen" authors: ["Cherry Tan"] tags: ["Singapore Seen","iPhones","Carousell","scam"] --- # Man loses $100 in deposits to ‘reserve’ iPhone 18 Pro Max, Carousell suspends seller’s account *A man said he lost $100 after a Carousell seller allegedly asked him to pay deposits to reserve an iPhone 18 Pro Max.* A man said he lost $100 after a Carousell seller allegedly asked him to pay deposits to reserve an iPhone 18 Pro Max, claiming the phone would be collected at a telco shop. Stomper Alex wanted to buy the phone as a birthday gift for his father, who turns 56 this year, and was still using an iPhone XR — first released eight years ago. “He never really buys things for himself, so I wanted to get him a proper upgrade as a birthday gift this year,” the Stomper shared. On Oct 11, he came across a listing for a brand-new 256GB iPhone 18 Pro Max priced at $1,850. Based on Stomp’s checks, the same phone costs $2,099 on the official Apple Singapore website. ![Man loses $100 in alleged iPhone recontract scam, Carousell suspends seller’s account](https://cassette.sphdigital.com.sg/image/stomp/bd71d6c3792fd3a3abb5a158d9868d0c88208412edb07acfd5860f648af2ad62) *The difference between the price of the phone on the Carousell listing Alex saw (left) and the official Apple store (right) was $249.* The seller proposed that they meet at a telco shop, where he would recontract a mobile plan to obtain the phone before Alex paid the balance. Alex said the arrangement seemed legitimate because the transaction would take place at an official outlet, so he transferred a $50 deposit via PayNow. That night, the seller said that the telco actually required a $300 deposit to reserve the phone. The seller claimed to have $200 and asked Alex to top up another $50 — bringing his total payment to $100. However, the pair never met, despite Alex repeatedly checking in with the seller on Oct 12. The seller allegedly said he was tied up in meetings, and the telco outlet closed at 9pm. ![Man loses $100 in alleged iPhone recontract scam, Carousell suspends seller’s account](https://cassette.sphdigital.com.sg/image/stomp/8f9b158fff27c5cf67c5f7beee70714660d2eeb92fb90cc8da73f0263d3b24a6) *The seller said more than once that he was tied up in meetings, and the pair never met.* Alex confirmed that while he had asked “several times” for proof that the phone had been reserved, the seller never provided any. Additionally, the Stomper contacted the telco via WhatsApp before making the second payment and was told that the reservation deposit was $50, not $300. “When I asked him about it, he said (the telco) asks for more when stock is limited,” Alex said. “Looking back, that was the first red flag.” ## Seller did not refund $100 deposit According to Alex, the seller agreed on the night of Oct 12 to cancel the reservation and refund him by 6pm the next day — but the deadline passed without a refund. When asked why he thought the seller — who had no reviews on Carousell — could be trusted, the Stomper said the seller’s Carousell account was verified with Singpass and had been active for about a year. “So I felt he was traceable and less likely to be a scammer,” Alex explained. ![Man loses $100 in alleged iPhone recontract scam, Carousell suspends seller’s account](https://cassette.sphdigital.com.sg/image/stomp/d5ed18e09030a54b92f70205bb7d4b1de9935e116a3a0b2c990a4bc36a37ebe7) *Alex had trusted the seller as he was Singpass-verified and had been active for a year, though he had no reviews.* Subsequently, he reported the seller to Carousell on Oct 11 and made a police report. He also reported the transactions to his bank. According to Alex, the platform needed 48 hours without a reply from the seller before taking action. The account was still active when he wrote to Stomp on Oct 13. Alex eventually bought a phone from a shop instead, after the incident disrupted his initial plans to purchase his father’s birthday gift. “I know $100 isn’t a huge amount, but what upset me was how it was handled,” he said. “I was made to wait for hours, asked for more money with a new reason, and then made to feel like I was the unreasonable one for wanting my deposit back.” ## Seller has been suspended In response to Stomp’s queries on Oct 19, a Carousell spokesperson said the seller’s account has been suspended as a precaution following its investigation into Alex’s report. “We have also urged the seller to resolve the matter directly with the buyer,” the spokesperson added. Carousell clarified that it does not impose a blanket 48-hour waiting period before taking action on reports. Instead, it reviews account activity, chat history and other relevant reports, and may take “immediate enforcement action” when there is clear evidence of a policy breach. The spokesperson added that Singpass verification helps verify a user’s identity but does not guarantee that the person is trustworthy or that a transaction is legitimate. An account’s age should similarly not be taken as a definitive indicator of trustworthiness. Carousell advised users to be alert to common scam warning signs, including: - Unusually low prices - Requests for upfront deposits - Attempts to move conversations off-platform, especially if accompanied by requests for external payment - Pressure to pay quickly - Suspicious links or requests for personal information It also encouraged buyers to use its Buyer Protection feature for eligible purchases, which holds payment until the buyer confirms receipt of the item. “Transactions made through external payment methods are not covered by this protection,” the spokesperson clarified. The platform added that it works with the police and provides relevant information to support investigations when requested. ## Various e-commerce scams observed Carousell said it actively monitors emerging scam patterns, including deposit and pre-order scams involving high-demand items. It strengthens detection measures to flag suspicious listings, accounts and behaviour, suspends accounts involved in confirmed fraud, and removes new accounts created by the same individuals. When asked why he wanted to share his story, Alex said: “I’d like my $100 back, but mainly I want to warn others to be careful of reservation scams like this, where a seller asks for deposits to ‘reserve’ a phone and then keeps asking for more.”