The Singapore Police Force said that they’ve arrested two young men who allegedly cheated victims of SGD 30,000 (RM92,000) by pretending to sell Nintendo Switch consoles. The men, aged 19 and 20, had duped more than 80 people in the scam.
The two men would use online marketplace Carousell to conduct the scam, and became uncontactable after their victims had paid them through bank transfers. While the police did not specify the price at which the young men offered the consoles, they warned people against being attracted by unrealistic prices.
“If the price is too good to be true, it probably is. For high-value items, it is advisable to purchase from reputable sources,” they said in a Facebook post.
Picture from Singapore Police Force
The Police Force also advised the public to verify the seller’s listing by checking the age of the account and the number of positive reviews to determine whether the seller is legitimate, as well as paying only upon delivery or choose in-built payment options which can offer buyer protection instead of making direct bank transfers. This is as they have observed a spike in e-commerce scams involving the sale of Nintendo Switch gaming consoles.
Picture from Singapore Police Force
The demand of the consoles have surged during the COVID-19 pandemic since more people have had to stay indoors during the coronavirus outbreak. Nintendo in Japan has also suspended shipments of the console due to a production delay caused by the outbreak.
As of yesterday, the police are investigating the 19-year-old but expect to charge the 20-year-old with cheating. If found guilty, he can be jailed up to 10 years and fined.
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