Since the dawn of time, or at least the dawn of our independence, Singaporeans have had a special relationship with discounted items.
We’re drawn to cheap things like thrifty moths to a flea store selling cheap bright lights, buying things we don’t even need because the low price is just too good to resist.
This frugality is a double-edged sword, however.
Some people take advantage of this vulnerability of ours, and in our desperate desire to save money, we end up losing it instead.
Property Agent Got Scammed of $200 for ‘Cheap Phone’
A property agent has taken to Facebook to warn the public about scams after he was cheated of $200.
In a post on 12 June, user Paul Teo details how he was scammed by an online seller over a “cheap phone”.
Paul was in search of a new phone and chose to contact an online retailer directly instead of going through Shoppee’s payment system.
Paul said he found the seller very convincing because he had built a rapport with Paul through texts and phone calls.
He told Paul, for instance, that he too was a family man.
Paul was also tempted by how quickly the seller said he could deliver the phone, and told the property agent that no other retailer was offering such a low price.
And as you know, “low price” is Singaporeans’ third favourite phrase after “GST voucher” and “bubble tea”.
So, Paul agreed to buy the phone from this seller.
All he had to do was make a $200 deposit, something Paul was initially reluctant to do. He asked if he could pay the seller in cash instead, but the seller said that the $200 deposit was “company policy”.
This $200 deposit is probably setting off some alarm bells in your head, but Paul was convinced because of the amount of time the seller put into the deal.
“We spoke on whatsapp for nearly 3 hours. Over a phone purchase!!!”, Paul said.
“Then I thought, oh well, nobody will be so free to talk to me for 3 hours just to scam $200 right?”.
Unfortunately, the property agent’s intuition was wrong.
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Asked For “Covid Protection” Deposit
After the seller sent a snapshot of his NRIC, Paul made the deposit and waited for his brand new phone to come.
Everything seemed fine and dandy.
But then the seller got greedy.
He asked Paul for a “Covid protection deposit” of $300. This is when Paul became suspicious and asked for his money back.
The seller refused.
The seller assured Paul that his purchase was a good one, and to prove he was a legitimate retailer and not a scammer, he sent Paul a video of him “carrying his NRIC”.
Sending someone a video of you carrying your identification card to prove you’re not a scammer is like a fake doctor sending a video of her holding a stethoscope to prove she’s a certified physician.
Paul felt like the seller was trying too hard to prove he wasn’t a scammer, which made him even more suspicious.
The property agent told the seller he would make a police report if he didn’t receive a refund within 20 minutes of his text.
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He didn’t get a reply.
A Happy Ending
Fortunately, the police “worked very effectively” and managed to get Paul his money back.
Yes, unlike most scam stories, this one had a happy ending.
Paul warned his friends and family not to be seduced by offers that are “too cheap to be true”.
“I have learnt my lesson”, he said.
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“I hope this sharing can help someone out there in any way or another.”
“Stay home, stay safe. Don’t anyhow Shop.”
As Paul said, be wary of online deals that seem to good to be true. Always purchase products from reputable and verified retailers, and do not ignore any red flags when making a purchase.
Sure, Paul got his money back, but not everyone is as lucky.
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