A 29-year-old man has been arrested for his suspected role in a string of e-commerce scams centred on the sale of limited-edition Pokémon trading cards, the police said on Thursday, December 4.
According to preliminary investigations, the suspect had promoted pre-orders of exclusive Pokémon card sets on Carousell. Interested buyers were instructed to make advance payments through bank transfers.
However, after receiving the money, the man allegedly failed to deliver the items. When victims followed up, he reportedly claimed the deliveries had been delayed before eventually cutting off communication completely.
The officers from the Commercial Affairs Department managed to trace the man's identity through follow-up investigations and arrested him on December 1. He is believed to be linked to at least 111 similar cases, with victims' combined losses amounting to more than S$80,000.
The suspect is expected to be charged in court with cheating under Section 420 of the Penal Code 1871, an offence that carries a potential jail term of up to 10 years and a fine.
The case comes shortly after the passing of the Criminal Law (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill on November 4, which introduces tougher penalties for scam-related offences. Once the amendments come into effect, scammers and members of scam syndicates will face mandatory caning of at least six strokes, and up to 24 strokes.
Scam mules involved in facilitating such operations—by handling illicit funds, supplying SIM cards or providing Singpass credentials—will also face discretionary caning of up to 12 strokes.
The police urged the public to stay vigilant when shopping online, especially for high-value items. They advised consumers to be wary of deals that appear unusually attractive, and to purchase from authorised or reputable sellers.
Buyers are also encouraged to use protected payment options that release funds only upon successful delivery, and to avoid advance payments or direct bank transfers.
Authorities also warned that scammers may attempt to build trust by using local bank accounts or sharing identification documents and may try to lure buyers onto messaging platforms with promises of better deals.
