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Pokemon card scam: Man arrested, charged for suspected involvement
Preliminary investigations revealed that the man is believed to have been involved in other e-commerce scams too.
SINGAPORE – A 27-year-old man has been arrested for his suspected involvement in a series of e-commerce scams involving the sale of "Pokemon" cards, the police said on Wednesday (5 July).
The police said between 29 June and 3 July, they received two reports from victims who were purportedly cheated by an online seller, who advertised a pre-order sales of "Pokemon" cards on online marketplace Carousell.
"After receiving a sum of about $37,600 via money transfer, the man did not fulfil the delivery of the 'Pokemon' cards," the police said.
Through follow-up investigations, officers from Woodlands Police Division established the identity of the 27-year-old man and arrested him on 4 July.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the man is believed to have cheated over 10 other similar cases involving losses of about S$80,000, the police added.
"Watches, shoes and clothes worth about $20,000 bought by the man using the defrauded monies from various victims were seized as case exhibits."
The man has been charged in court on 6 July with cheating under Section 420 of the Penal Code 1871. The offence carries an imprisonment term of up to 10 years and a fine.
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Members of the public should take precautions when engaging online services, the police said.
For example, they can opt to use service providers from reputable sources and avoid making advance payments or direct bank transfers to the seller whenever possible.
"Scammers may entice buyers to make deposits before the services are provided, and they may also use a local bank account or provide a copy of a NRIC/driver's licence to make you believe that they are genuine sellers," the police added.
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