SINGAPORE — At least 82 victims have fallen prey to “freecycling” scams since May this year, with the total losses amounting to at least S$2,500, the police said on Tuesday (July 4).

Freecycling is a green movement whereby items that are no longer needed are given away to others for free, instead of being sold or thrown away.

Noting that there has been an increase in scams that ride on this movement, the police said in a statement that victims would come across giveaway offers posted by scammers on online platforms such as Facebook, Goodhood, Telegram and Carousell.

The offers include a variety of items ranging from bicycles to bulky kitchen appliances such as refrigerators. To express their interest in the offers, victims would reach out to the scammers using the individual platform’s in-app messaging function.

The police included examples of how some of these scams are advertised on these platforms. In one example on Goodhood, a user posted a picture of a bicycle to be given, along with an accompanying description of the bicycle's model, as well as option to choose between pick-up and delivery options.

Victims would be enticed by the offer and would reach out to the scammers, often opting for the item to be delivered out of convenience.

Scammers would then request the victims to pay a delivery fee or a reservation fee for the item, often with payments made via mobile banking platforms such as PayNow, or through e-wallets such as Singtel Dash or GrabPay.

The victims would realise that they had been scammed when they did not receive the items, said the police.

The police said members of the public should adopt precautionary measures such as using the ScamShield app to avoid falling prey to such scams.

The public can set security features like enabling two-factor or multifactor authentication security checks for banks, or set transaction limits on internet banking transactions. They should also avoid making payments or deposits to unknown individuals.

Where possible, the public is encouraged to arrange for their own delivery and to always verify the profile of the user through reviews and ratings, said the police.

The public should also check for scam signs using official sources such as visiting www.scamalert.sg or calling the police's anti-scam helpline at 1800-722-6688 when in doubt.