By Chua Hian Hou

A WOMAN suspected of having cheated over 60 online shoppers has been arrested. The 27-year-old was picked up by police last Friday and is out on bail while investigations are on, said a police spokesman.

Using the online monicker Lisa, she rallied those using the popular parenting website Singapore Motherhood to participate in a bulk purchase of Coach and Kate Spade handbags.

She claimed to have special connections in the United States who could give her steep discounts on the bags, and said shipping was free because her husband was an airline pilot.

But those involved claimed that after collecting over $30,000 last month from over 60 buyers, she allegedly became uncontactable.

Ordering in bulk online, commonly known among netizens as sprees, has become a fixture on local online forums. Buyers pool their orders to qualify for bulk discounts from Internet merchants and then split the cost of shipping the goods to Singapore. Bulk-purchase organisers like Lisa usually charge an administrative fee for their efforts.

After she allegedly became uncontactable, a new user calling herself Angeline appeared on the Singapore Motherhood forum, claiming to be Lisa's relative.

She announced that Lisa had been injured in a car accident, but would refund the money eventually. Angeline claimed that several refunds had been made and warned buyers against kicking up a fuss or she would stop giving them out.

But most of the online shoppers did not buy her story and went to the authorities.

As at press time, the police had received 60 complaints.

Singapore Motherhood's administrator Ng Chin Leng has also lodged a report and given the police information about Lisa, including her bank account number and a copy of her identity card; he also informed the police about some 'inconsistencies' that turned up following an internal investigation at the website.

This story was first published in The Straits Times.

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