SINGAPORE — A 24-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly stealing a gold necklace worth S$27,000 on Sunday (July 23) when he met its owner for a purported sale transaction. 

In a press statement on Tuesday, the police said they received a report from the alleged victim about the incident at about 6.40pm on Sunday. 

TODAY understands that the pair had met through e-commerce platform Carousell, where the alleged victim had put up the necklace for sale. 

The 24-year-old man then allegedly posed as a legitimate buyer to meet the seller, only to then take the jewellery and flee.

“Through follow-up investigations, officers from Central Police Division established the identity of the man and arrested him on July 24,” the police said.

The necklace was later recovered.

The man will be charged in court on Wednesday with theft, which carries a jail term of up to three years and a fine.

The police advised the public to take the following precautions when meeting others to exchange goods:

• Always meet in a well-lit, public place, with high footfall and avoid secluded or private areas
• Where possible, bring along a friend or family member to the meeting to provide an added layer of safety and deter potential criminals
• Avoid bringing unnecessary valuables or large sums of money to the meeting
• As a seller, avoid openly displaying expensive items before the transaction is complete. Consider meeting at a location with surveillance cameras for transactions involving expensive goods