A 24-year-old woman has been arrested for her alleged involvement in a series of hotel room booking scam cases.
On March 18, 2022, the Police received a report from a victim who claimed the lady had scammed him out of a hotel room booking. The victim saw the woman’s supposed advertisement for hotel bookings on an online platform and communicated with her through WhatsApp. The victim apparently did not obtain the hotel booking after paying $450 to the woman through bank transfer.
Officers from the Ang Mo Kio Police Division uncovered the woman’s identity and detained her on March 30, 2022. According to preliminary investigations, the lady may be engaged in other similar crimes.
Charged
The woman was charged in court yesterday (April 1) with cheating under Section 420 of the Penal Code 1871. The offence carries an imprisonment term of up to ten years and a fine.
Recently, another man was also charged for similar hotel booking scams, the article can be found here.
How to avoid such scams?
- If the price is too good to be true, it probably is. Purchase only from authorised sellers or reputable sources, especially for high-value items.
- Avoid making impulsive booking and purchase only from authorised dealer or reputable sources.
- Check with official sources such as the Singapore Tourism Board (www.stb.gov.sg) and the National Association of Travel Agents Singapore (www.natas.travel) if the vendor is an accredited travel agent.
- Opt for buyer protection by using in-built payment options that release payment to the seller only upon delivery. Whenever possible, avoid making advance payments or direct bank transfers to the seller as this method does not offer any protection.
- Scammers may entice buyers to contact them directly through messaging platforms such as WhatsApp or WeChat by offering a better or faster deal if bank transfer payments are made directly to them. They may also use a local bank account or provide a copy of a NRIC/driver’s license to make you believe that they are genuine sellers. Do not fall for it!
For more information on scams, members of the public can visit scamalert.sg or call the Anti-Scam Hotline at 1800-722-6688. Anyone with information on such scams may call the Police Hotline at 1800-255-0000 or submit information online at www.police.gov.sg/iwitness.