In Singapore, the demand for masks is phenomenal.
So much so that even if the selling price of a box of masks is ten times the original price, people would still buy them.
With such high demand, you can be sure that scammers would want a piece of the action.
S’porean Lady Allegedly Scammed On Carousell
A Singaporean woman was on Carousell when she came across a listing selling N95 masks.
When she contacted the seller, she was told that payment has to be made first before they’ll deliver the masks to her.
Seeing as the account was only one-day-old, she was suspicious and gave the seller a call.
The seller presented himself as someone looking to earn some extra cash from the Wuhan coronavirus outbreak in Singapore.
Eventually, they came to an agreement. She will send transfer half of the money first as deposit, while the remaining will be paid upon collection.
However, after she had made the payment, the seller contacted her once again. He told her that his boss disagrees with their agreement and told him to get the rest of the money.
She was given the choice to pay the remaining amount or have the money she’s already paid returned to her.
Seller Shows NRIC, Then Disappeared
Still suspicious of the seller, she asked for proof.
The seller then sent a picture of an NRIC to her as a show of faith.
However, that only raised further questions as the name on the NRIC is different from the name displayed on the WhatsApp account that the seller is using.
After she insists on getting her money back, the seller blocked her on WhatsApp and disappeared.
She’s Not Be The Only One
Shortly after she publicised her experience on the platform, another user got into contact with her.
He shared that he had gone through the same thing although his seller has a different ID.
They claimed that both of their sellers have these points in common:
- First-day accounts
- Free delivery
- No Cash on delivery
They suspect that the scam listings could be put up by the same group of scammers.
Be Careful When You Shop Online
But whether the scam listings are operated by the same group of scammers, or there are multiple parties doing the same thing, it doesn’t matter.
What matters is that currently, people out there are seeing Singaporeans getting anxious to purchase more masks for protection, and more than willing to cheat them out of their hard-earned money.
As a general rule of thumb, if the seller insists on you sending the money over first, always refuse to do so.
If you are a victim of a scam on carousell, you can report the incident to the SG Carousell support team here.
Masks Aren’t Necessary For Healthy People
The Covid-19 is scary and the number of confirmed cases in Singapore is increasing daily.
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But if you are unable to get masks for yourself, don’t panic.
For one, you can still collect free masks.
And two, the Covid-19 is believed to transmit via respiratory droplets. Compared to wearing masks, being careful of where you touch and washing your hands frequently is crucial in preventing infection.
In the meanwhile, do bookmark MOH’s website for daily updates on Covid-19.
**Images submitted by a Goody Feed reader unless otherwise stated.
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