Beware mobile phone and gadget scams: Police
Eager to get your hands on a new mobile phone or electronic gadget?
Do not be too hasty when you see enticing online advertisements.
There have been at least 445 reports of e-commerce scams between January and May this year, involving mobile phones and electronic gadgets, the police said in a press release sent yesterday.
Scammers tended to leverage on the popularity of new releases of such devices to cheat victims.
Victims typically fell prey to bogus offers that were advertised on e-commerce platforms and did not receive the items after payments were made.
Items commonly involved include Apple Airpods, the Nintendo Switch and Samsung phones.
The police advised the public not to be impulsive and to purchase such items from authorised sellers, as far as possible.
If shopping on online platforms, the police advised the public to read the reviews of the seller before committing to a purchase.
They also cautioned that scammers would use a local bank account or provide a copy of an NRIC or driver's licence to appear to be genuine sellers. They advised against making payments or deposits in advance.
Those who wish to provide any information related to such crimes may call the Police hotline at 1800-255-0000, or submit it online at www.police.gov.sg/iwitness.
To seek scam-related advice, the public can call the National Crime Prevention Council's anti-scam helpline at 1800-722-6688 or go to www.scamalert.sg.
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