SINGAPORE — The police on Friday (Nov 22) urged people to be wary when making hotel room reservations and buying attraction tickets online.

"With the upcoming December school holidays, the police would like to remind the public to be wary when making online purchases, especially those involving hotel room reservations and attraction tickets," said the Singapore Police Force in an advisory.

Between January and September, the police received more than 197 reports of such e-commerce scams.

"In terms of attraction tickets, USS (Universal Studios Singapore) tickets were often highlighted. Victims either did not receive the tickets or received invalid tickets after payments were made," said the police.

The authorities advised members of the public not to be impulsive and to be wary of online advertisements promising cheap prices for attraction tickets or hotel reservations. People should read the seller's reviews before making a purchase, they added.

The police also warned that some scammers could use local bank accounts or provide copies of a NRIC or driver's licence to pretend to be genuine sellers.

Members of the public should also avoid making payments or deposits in advance, and to make use of platforms that release payment only upon receipt of the item. They should also arrange to meet a seller and pay only after collecting the item.

"Bear in mind that tickets may be invalid upon entry as they are duplicated tickets," said the police. "You are therefore advised to purchase only from authorised sellers." CNA

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