Another 11 people, including a 15-year-old boy, are assisting in investigations, said the police. Preliminary investigations revealed that they had “unwittingly facilitated the scams” in several ways.
Most of them took on job offers on Telegram that asked them to receive money in their bank accounts to buy Razer gift cards. They were also asked to facilitate the receipt and transfer of money through their bank accounts.
A 21-year-old woman was asked to change her Carousell account username and email address. Her account was later found to be taken over by scammers.
The 15-year-old boy gave away his Carousell account to a scammer, who had offered to top up his Carousell wallet.
Police advised people to buy tickets through authorised sellers or reputable sources. They should be wary of “attractive, time-sensitive deals where only limited stocks are available”, said the police.
“Avoid making upfront payments to bank accounts belonging to unknown individuals and, whenever possible, avoid making advance payments or direct bank transfers to the seller,” the police added.
“Always verify the seller’s profile through customer reviews and ratings.”
Members of the public are also advised to download the ScamShield App and set up security features, such as two-factor authentication and banking transaction limits.
Anyone with information relating to such crimes can call the police hotline at 1800-255-0000, or submit it here.
