In just two months over July and August, police
received 53 reported cases relating to online delivery scams
amounting to more than $40,000.
This is more than double the number of cases reported
for the whole of last year. There were 26 such cases reported in
all of 2012.
The scammers would entice victims through cheaper than
usual online advertisements for smartphones, tablets and laptops on
popular websites. Once baited, victims would be asked to make funds
transfers to local bank accounts or remit payment to overseas
accounts. Then, to cheat victims into parting with more money, the
culprits would send emails telling them their shipments encountered
various problems, and they would need to send more money in order
to receive their shipment package.
Some of the claims scammers used included:
• The items were held or wrongly delivered to another
country and that additional payment is required to retrieve the
items.
• The items were seized at the Customs and that
additional payment is required for storage fees, and victims
receive the purported “seizure notice” in the email for added
credibility.
• Items faced courier/shipment problems faced – that
there was a mix-up with other items from a different order. As the
delivery could not be cancelled (one-way delivery), victims need to
pay for the cost of additional items. Alternatively, victims are
offered the option to return the additional items back to source,
but need to pay an additional refundable guarantee fee.
• Items included in the package required minimum
quantity / package was too light – the despatch manager could not
authorise shipment as it did not meet the Minimum Order Quantity
(MOQ), thus requesting victim to put in more orders and make
subsequent payments.
That’s not all.
To avoid detection, the culprits recruited “money
mules”, who had local bank accounts to facilitate the money
transfers’.
Victims would be asked to make payments to the mule’s
bank account, and the mule would then transfer the proceeds to the
scammers.
The mules were also separately targeted and recruited
through social network sites. When contacted, the scammers would
claim to offer a business opportunity or seek a romantic
relationship. The scammers would cultivate trust with their
targeted mules and over time, convinced them to help with
their purported businesses by making fund transfers to overseas
accounts held by the scammers. In return, the mules’ may receive a
commission for their role.
But, for mules’, by doing so, they may be charged with
dishonestly receiving stolen property and be fined and jailed up to
5 years.
Police advisory
To avoid being scammed, the Police advised the public
to adopt the following measures:
• Only do business with those who you know and
trust.
• To carefully study the offer so that you fully
understand what it entails. Always ask for more information if you
are unsure of any aspect of the goods. Legitimate business would be
more than happy to provide the information.
• Check out the track record of the company/person who
you are going to buy the items from.
• Be wary of anyone who you have just met online.
• Do not help people who you just met online to make
fund transfers or assist in making remittances of unknown sources
of money. You may be aiding and abetting a criminal activity when
you do so.
TNP
