Mother and son arrested over Carousell, Facebook ticket scams

SINGAPORE: A 32-year-old man and a 62-year-old woman have been arrested for their suspected involvement in a series of e-commerce scams involving the sales of tickets for Universal Studios Singapore (USS), concerts and events.

The pair are mother and son, said police on Wednesday (Jun 17), adding that they are believed to be involved in at least 450 cases amounting to more than S$110,000. 

Police said they received reports between January and May from victims who believed they had been cheated by different online sellers advertising tickets for USS, concerts and events on Carousell and Facebook. 

The sellers became uncontactable after payments were made, said the authorities. 

The duo was arrested on Tuesday after they were identified by officers from the Commercial Affairs Department. 

The man will be charged with cheating on Thursday. If convicted, he may be jailed up to 10 years and fined. The woman is assisting with investigations, said police. 

The authorities advised the public to take precautions when shopping online. These include avoiding making advance payments, being cautious of deals tied to direct bank transfer payments and purchasing from authorised sellers.