Carousell face mask scam: Man arrested for cheating on one order worth S$175,000

Singapore – A 28-year-old man has been arrested for scamming a buyer who placed one order of surgical face masks worth S$175,000.

The victim lodged a report with the police on Friday (Feb 14). Officers from the Ang Mo Kio Police Division were able to identify the man through ground enquiries and he was arrested the same day.

The suspect had used Carousell, the popular e-commerce platform, to advertise the face masks at a time when there was a shortage due to the coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak.

The buyer placed an order for 500 cartons of surgical face masks from the suspect and paid a deposit of S$175,000. The order was supposed to be distributed to company staff.

Much like any scam, once the money leaves the hands of the victim, the suspect disappears. The seller became uncontactable after the payment and failed to deliver the goods.

An accused person faces up to 10 years in jail and a fine if found guilty.

The post received numerous comments from people who had been scammed over surgical face masks on Carousell.

Others called for Carousell to implement a stricter policy and address the scammers on its platform.

Others, meanwhile, could not fathom the idea of paying such a huge sum for an online (and risky) purchase. /TISG