Spike in online gadget scams
Victims lost a total of $210,000 last year, 12 times the $17,000 lost in 2012
Published on Mar 10, 2014
By Irene Tham Technology Correspondent
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Retired IT project manager Brettmann Klaus, 61, thought he had a good deal when he paid $640 for a supposedly brand new Samsung smartphone in 2012.
But he ended up losing $7,000 after falling for a scam that tricks victims into making multiple payments to solve delivery or Customs problems.
Last year, the police received 231 reports of such scams, a big jump from 14 cases in 2012.
Conmen would post online ads of discounted smartphones, tablets and laptops on shopping websites like Gumtree, Craigslist and Locanto as well as social network site Facebook.
Background story
HUGE INCREASE
No. of such scams in 2012
14
No. of such scams last year
231
Get the full story from The Straits Times.
