S’pore Man Arrested For Scamming People Who Paid Deposits For PMDs On Carousell

Did you really think that a day would go by without a Personal Mobility Device (PMD) related article hogging up your feed?

Wait but, isn’t the whole PMD saga over? And I thought PMD sales have taken a plunge since the ban was implemented?

PMD retailers even resorted to calling their stock of e-scooters “useless inventory”… but apparently some people are still selling and buying PMDs… on Carousell.

I’m proud to bring you the latest episode of CarouHell:

S’pore Man Arrested For Scamming People Who Paid Deposits For PMDs On Carousell

According to The Straits Times, a 27-year-old man was arrested by officers from the Commercial Affairs Department on Monday for his involvement in e-commerce scams.

He listed a series of PMDs at discounted prices on Carouhell. I mean, Carousell.

I’m sure you know where this story is headed.

The Singapore Police Force received several reports between October and November 2019 from victims who had tried to buy the PMDs on Carousell.

They were asked to pay a deposit, however, the seller was uncontactable after they made bank transfers.

I wonder how “discounted” thee PMDs actually were.

He Was Allegedly Involved In More Than 20 E-commerce Scams

The man wasn’t just some inexperienced scammer. He knew the ropes. He had participated in more than 20 cases of e-commerce scams.

In total, he made off with $4,500.

He will be charged in Court on Wednesday with cheating and may be sentenced to a fine and a maximum jail term of up to 10 years.

Staying Safe While Shopping Online

I can understand how his customers were fooled into making those transactions, only to find out that they had been scammed.

Given the current PMD ban situation, they might have thought that the discounted price was due to the seller just wanting to sell-off his remaining PMD stocks.

It’s also really hard to ascertain the trustworthiness of Carousell sellers. Which is why we should be extra vigilant when buying things online.

The Straits Times suggests that cash on delivery is a good idea.

But if a deposit has to be made, I suggest considering options like CarouPay wherein payment is held by Carousell until both buyer and seller are happy with the transaction.