Singapore Police warn against pre-order scams for K-Pop merchandise

SINGAPORE: The Singapore Police Force (SPF) has issued a fresh advisory urging the public to be vigilant against online scams involving pre-order listings for K-pop merchandise, after fraudsters exploited fan enthusiasm with fake deals on platforms such as Carousell.

According to the advisory on Jan 17, victims would encounter listings for merchandise tied to Korean stars such as G-Dragon and, after expressing interest, be coaxed to pay deposits via PayNow or bank transfers to secure the items. Victims often only realise they have been defrauded when the products never arrive, or the seller becomes uncontactable.

The police are not aware of any specific reported losses associated with this particular scam variant so far, but the pattern is consistent with other e-commerce fraud trends seen in Singapore, where scam listings lure buyers with the promise of availability or discounts and then fade after payment.

In their advisory, officers reminded consumers to purchase only from authorised sellers, whether online or at physical retail outlets. For online shopping, they encouraged the use of secure payment methods, such as cash on delivery, which enables buyers to inspect goods before committing funds.

The police also warned the public to be alert to classic scam red flags, including “large discounts offered for faster transactions”, and to avoid disclosing sensitive personal or banking information, such as internet banking credentials or one-time passwords, to any third party.

This warning comes amid broader efforts over the past few years to combat e-commerce fraud. The police caution that scammers are likely to continue targeting fans quickly and creatively.

To protect themselves against scams, members of the public are encouraged to adopt the ACT (Add, Check, Tell) framework. This includes installing the ScamShield app and enabling available security features to block and filter suspicious messages and calls.

Those who are unsure or require advice can contact the ScamShield helpline at 1799.