33-year-old serial online scammer arrested

SINGAPORE - Police have arrested a 33-year-old man for his suspected involvement in a series of online scams.

Since Jan this year, the police have been receiving reports of victims being asked to transfer deposits to the suspect as part of a payment plan to secure loans online. After obtaining the deposits, the suspect was elusive and did not extend any loans to victims.

The suspect subsequently posed as an advertiser offering vehicle rental services online. According to a statement by the police, the suspect did not deliver any vehicle when prospective victims agreed to the rentals and transferred the deposits online.

After conducting investigations, police officers arrested him at Fajar Road on Aug 21. Preliminary investigations revealed that he is believed to be involved in at least nine other similar cases, where the victims have lost more than $3,000.

If convicted, the suspect may be jailed for a maximum of 10 years for each offence.

Members of the public are advised by the police to be aware of such scams and adopt the following measures:

• Never make deposits or advanced payments into a bank account unknown to you, in the hope of getting a loan. Banks and licensed credit facilities would never require you to make any advanced payment in order to extend a loan.
• Only rent vehicles from reputable car rental companies.
• Check with the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority to confirm that the car rental company is a registered business.
• Insist on documentation of the rental details, such as payment details and particulars of the parties involved. Keep a copy of the documentation for your reference.
• Ask to see the vehicle and its identification document to verify its ownership.

stephluo@sph.com.sg