PUBLISHED ONDecember 02, 2025 10:23 PMBYSean LerA 29-year-old man has been arrested for his suspected involvement in a series of e-commerce scams involving the sale of limited edition Pokemon trading cards.
In a statement on Tuesday (Dec 2), the police said that the man was believed to be involved in at least 111 of such cases, with losses amounting to at least $80,000.
The man had allegedly advertised the pre-order sales of limited edition Pokemon trading cards on Carousell.
Victims would eventually realise that they have been scammed when they did not receive their cards after payment was made via bank transfers.
The man would first claim that delivery of the said trading cards was delayed and later became unresponsive.
He was arrested on Dec 1 through follow-up investigations by officers from the Commercial Affairs Department.
The 29-year-old will be charged in court on Dec 3 with cheating.
If found guilty, he may be fined and jailed for up to 10 years.
The police advised the public to be careful when making online purchases.
"If the price is too good to be true, it probably is," they said, adding that buyers should only make purchases from authorised sellers or reputable sources, especially for high-value items.
They also advised the public to avoid making advance payments or direct bank transfers to a seller, as these do not offer buyer protection. Instead, buyers can use in-built payment options that release payment to the seller only upon delivery.
The police also warned that scammers may entice buyers to contact them directly through messaging platforms such as WhatsApp or WeChat and offer a better or faster deal if bank payment transfers are made directly to them.
"They may also use a local bank account or provide a copy of a NRIC or driver's license to make you believe that they are genuine sellers," the police added.
Members of the public can call the 24/7 ScamShield Helpline at 1799 if in doubt.
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