SINGAPORE: Two male youths were arrested this week for a series of e-commerce scams involving Nintendo Switch consoles on Carousell, said the police on Monday (Apr 13).
In a news release, the authorities said they received multiple reports on Apr 10 and Apr 12 from victims who were purportedly cheated by online sellers selling Nintendo Switch consoles on the shopping platform.
According to a screengrab provided by the police, a pre-order offer for a Nintendo Switch Gen 2 console was put up on Carousell for S$649. The advert said the item would arrive on Apr 15 but there first needed to be a deposit of S$50 put in.
Advert for Nintendo Switch Gen 2. (Image: SPF)
After payments were made for the gaming console via bank transfers, the sellers became uncontactable, said police.
The two suspects aged 19 and 20 were arrested on Monday and Sunday respectively after officers from the Commercial Affairs Department identified them through follow-up investigations and close collaboration with Carousell.
Several handphones, SIM cards and a used Nintendo Switch console were seized as case exhibits. Investigations revealed the duo could have been involved in more than 80 cases of e-commerce scams involving S$30,000.
Only one set of Nintendo Switch was found in the 20-year-old accused’s house. (Photo: SPF)
Several handphones, SIM cards and a used Nintendo Switch console were seized as case exhibits. (Photo: SPF)
The older suspect will be charged in court on Tuesday with cheating. He faces up to 10 years in jail and a fine if found guilty. Investigations against the other suspect are still ongoing.
The police advised members of the public to use payment options that only release the money to the seller upon delivery and to purchase from authorised sellers. They also cautioned people against falling for scammers who entice buyers to contact them directly through messaging platforms by offering a better or faster deal if bank transfer payments are made directly to them.
