Rise in Pokemon card scams: More than $111,000 lost in May
E-commerce scams involving the sale of Pokemon trading cards have increased in popularity, with at least 54 cases reported since the start of May.
The total losses from the scams amounted to at least $111,000.
Victims encountered listings of Pokemon Trading Cards on Carousell, and after expressing interest in the products, culprits would convince them to continue their correspondence on messaging platforms such as WhatsApp.
Upon confirmation of their order, the victims would make their purchase by payment via PayNow or bank transfers.
Victims would realise that they had been scammed when they did not receive the products, or when sellers became uncontactable.
The police would like to remind members of the public to be cautious when buying products from non-authorised platforms, and be wary of red flags, such as large discounts for faster transactions.
Keep communications within the platform, and transact in person, so the product can be inspected.
Do not transfer money to anyone you do not know, and never disclose personal information, internet banking or one-time passwords to anyone.
The police advise the public to take precautionary measures against scams by applying the ACT acronym, which outlines three steps to take: Add security features, check for signs of a scam with official sources, and tell the authorities and others when you encounter scams.
If in doubt of a scam, call the ScamShield Helpline at 1799, or visit www.scamshield.gov.sg for more information on scams.
