A 28-year-old man lost S$700 while trying to buy a MacBook Air on Carousell, despite taking what seemed like a reasonable precaution: checking the seller’s reviews.
The account had more than 100 reviews and appeared reputable, according to the man, Kamirul, who spoke to Zaobao.
But there was one rather important problem.
Carousell later told Zaobao that its investigation found the account had been compromised by a third party.
MacBook Air Was Listed for S$850
Kamirul, who works in customer service, told Zaobao that he was browsing Carousell for a laptop in the early hours of 3 September when he found a listing for a nearly new 2023 MacBook Air.
The asking price was S$850.
As the account had more than 100 reviews and appeared to have a good reputation, Kamirul contacted the seller and eventually negotiated the price down to S$700.
He said they agreed that he would arrange for someone to collect the laptop immediately.
The conversation was then moved from Carousell to WhatsApp, where the seller provided an address.
Kamirul checked the address online and found that it corresponded to a condominium in Singapore, giving him further confidence to proceed.
As his driver headed over to collect the laptop, the seller sent him a YouTrip QR code for payment.
Kamirul transferred the S$700.
Condo Security Said the Unit Did Not Exist
Things unravelled once the driver reached the condominium.
According to Kamirul’s account to Zaobao, security staff told the driver that the unit number provided by the seller did not exist.
When Kamirul contacted the seller, the person allegedly claimed that the MacBook was still being formatted and that they would come downstairs within a few minutes.
The driver waited for another five minutes, but nobody appeared.
Security staff then helped check CCTV footage and found that nobody had come down, according to Zaobao.
The seller subsequently stopped replying.
Besides the S$700 payment, Kamirul said he still had to pay S$40 after cancelling the driver’s booking.
He later made a police report and produced a video about his experience to warn others.
Carousell Says Account Was Compromised
Carousell told Zaobao that its investigation confirmed the account involved had been compromised by a third party.
The platform said it had contacted Kamirul to provide assistance and advised affected users to make police reports so the authorities could investigate.
There is, however, an unexplained date discrepancy in Zaobao’s report.
The report says Kamirul contacted the seller in the early hours of 3 September, but Carousell’s statement says the compromised account had been frozen on 2 September to prevent further misuse. The published report does not explain how the transaction could have taken place after the stated freeze date.
Zaobao reported that police have received a report and are following up on the case.
Reviews Alone May Not Be Enough
Carousell advises users to keep conversations and transactions on its platform and, for delivery transactions, to pay through the platform’s Buy button.
According to the Ministry of Home Affairs’ guidance for Carousell users, buyers can also consider meeting sellers in person and making payment only after receiving the item.
Transactions made through Carousell’s Buy button can qualify for Buyer Protection if an item does not arrive or is significantly different from its description.
The case also illustrates why even an established account with a long review history is not by itself proof that the person currently controlling it is legitimate.
