Singapore police asked people to be careful while booking hotel rooms and tickets online. They stated that between January and September, the police received more than 197 reports of such e-commerce scams and believe that it may repeat during the holidays in December.
Police mentioned that "In terms of attraction tickets, USS (Universal Studios Singapore) tickets were often highlighted. Victims either did not receive the tickets or received invalid tickets after payments were made." They also advised people not to be impulsive and to be wary of online advertisements promising cheap prices for attraction tickets or hotel bookings.
Police advisory
The authorities warned that some scammers could use local bank accounts or provide copies of an NRIC or driver's licence to gain the trust of the buyer and pretend to be genuine sellers. In such cases, people should read the seller's reviews before making a purchase.
The Singaporeans should avoid making payments or deposits in advance and use those e-commerce platforms that don't require advance payment. As per the police, the members of the public should also arrange to meet a seller and pay only after collecting the item. People are only advised to buy tickets from authorised sellers.
