SINGAPORE – An 18-year-old woman has been arrested for her alleged involvement in at least 30 cases of e-commerce scams, some of which involved merchandise from South Korean boyband BTS.

The police said on Tuesday (March 12) that, between Feb 17 and March 7 this year, they received several reports from victims who said they had been cheated by an online seller.

The seller in question claimed to be a “group order manager” who offered to conduct bulk purchases of items on behalf of the victims.

These items included BTS merchandise, beauty care products and an assortment of lifestyle products.

However, after the victims paid for the items via bank transfers, they did not receive their purchases. The seller also became uncontactable.

Through their investigations, officers from the Commercial Affairs Department were able to identify the woman and arrested her on Monday. She is believed to have been involved in at least 30 cases of e-commerce scams worth a total of $2,400.

The woman is due to be charged in court on Wednesday. If found guilty of cheating, she can be jailed up to 10 years and fined.

In a statement, the police advised members of the public to take precautions when shopping online.

Members of the public should bear in mind that the party they are dealing with online is a stranger, and find out how the shopping site they are using can help safeguard their interests or resolve disputes, before making a transaction.

Members of the public are also advised to insist on cash payment on delivery.

If advance payments are required, they should use shopping platforms that provide arrangements to only release payment to the sellers after purchases have been received.

For more information on scams, members of the public can visit scamalert.sg or call the Anti-Scam hotline on 1800-722-6688.

Anyone with information on scams may call the police hotline on 1800-255-0000 or submit information online at www.police.gov.sg/iwitness.

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