Singapore police advised people to be careful while making online purchases during the upcoming June school holidays. They specifically asked people to be aware of the scams involving hotel room reservations and attraction tickets.
As per the Singapore Police Force (SPF), from January to April 2019, the officers reported more than 112 reports related to e-commerce scams, which included such items.
In a news release, the police stated that in terms of incentives, tickets USS tickets were often highlighted and in many cases, either the victims did not receive the tickets after making the payment or they were given an invalid ticket after the scammers receive the money.
SPF advised people to follow a few preventive measures. In the news release, they mentioned that the members of the public should be wary of online advertisements for hotel room reservations and discount tickets. They asked people to read the reviews of the seller before making any payment.
It is possible that the scammers have a local bank account or provide a copy of an NRIC/driver's licence to make people believe that they are genuine sellers, but the consumers should not buy the items on impulse.
SPF also added that since these sellers are not known to the consumers, people should avoid making payments or deposits in advance.
"Try to use shopping platforms/arrangements that release your payment to the seller only upon receiving the item. Alternatively, arrange to meet the seller and pay only after collecting the item. Bear in mind that tickets may be invalid upon entry as they are duplicated tickets. You are therefore advised to purchase only from authorised sellers," said SPF.
If any member of the public wishes to share any information about such scams then they can call the police hotline number 1800-255-0000, or submit it online at www.police.gov.sg/iwitness.In case of urgent police assistance, people can dial 999.
People can also make a call at 1800-722-6688 or go to www.scamalert.sg if they want to know more about the ongoing scams in Singapore.
The SPF urged to the public to join the 'let's fight scams' campaign at www.scamalert.sg/fight by "signing up as an advocate to receive up-to-date messages and share them with your family and friends."
