Teenager scams S$14,000 from Carousell users by pretending to sell tickets to Universal Studios, Bruno Mars concert

SINGAPORE — A 19-year-old teen has been arrested for allegedly cheating Carousell users of some S$14,000.

The Singapore Police Force said that between May and June this year, it received multiple reports from people purportedly cheated by sellers on the e-marketplace who were peddling Universal Studios e-tickets and Bruno Mars concert tickets.

TODAY understands that the total value of the scam is close to S$14,000.

The male suspect was arrested on Tuesday (Nov 13) along Kallang Road. One laptop, one tablet and four mobile phones were seized, the police said in a statement on Wednesday.

He will be charged in court on Thursday with abetment to cheating, which is punishable with a jail term of up to 10 years, and a fine.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the suspect could be involved in at least 60 cases of e-commerce scams. He is also believed to be in cahoots with another 19-year-old teen who was charged in court last Friday with cheating.

The police advise consumers to take precautions when shopping online.

Members of the public are advised to:

• Bear in mind that the party online they are dealing with is a stranger. Before performing a transaction on an online shopping site, find out how the site safeguards shoppers' interest or can help shoppers to resolve disputes

• Insist on cash on delivery especially if responding to online classified advertisements

• Use shopping platforms that provide arrangements to only release your payment to the seller upon your receipt of the item, If advanced payments are required

• Be mindful that although culprits may provide a copy of an identification card or driver’s licence to gain shoppers' trust, it may not necessarily belong to the person communicating with the shopper online

• Note that scammers may use a Singapore bank account to enhance credibility, but the owner of the account may not be the person communicating with the shopper online