The deal looked tempting enough - pay $50 and you will get a year's access to a explicit photos and video clips on an all-new porn site.
Many Singaporeans took the bait, only to realize it was a scam after paying up and not receiving the "goods", according to a report by the Chinese newspaper Shin Min Daily News.
The offer was posted on a blog, allegedly owned by a man who claims to be based overseas.
In his post, the blogger said that he will be launching a new website, which will contain sex photos and video clips of himself. The site is only open to members, who will pay a $50 fee for a year's access.
The blogger also said that due to the overwhelming response, individual queries will not be entertained. Users must first send money to the blogger's bank account, after which they will receive a username and password to the website via an automated email service.
As an additional tidbit to potential members, the blogger also added that a sex chat service will be included in the deal.
According to the Shin Min report, Singaporean Netizens who have signed up for the service only found out about the scam after they paid up.
No username or password was emailed to them, nor was there a website. Victims of the scam were also unable to contact the blogger.
When a Shin Min reporter went to check on the blog, it was already closed by the website's service provider and could not be accessed.
A lawyer Shin Min spoke to said that the blogger's fraudulent post could mean a jail sentence of as long as 10 years and three months should be be convicted of two charges - one for posting information of a fraudulent nature, and the second for posting pornographic materials online.
For the first charge, those found guilty can face up to 10 years in jail and a fine. Parties found guilty of the second charge can be jailed up to three months, be fined or both.
However, due to the nature of the Internet, the blogger might not be based in Singapore. Thus, even if a police report was made in Singapore about the crime, he might not be able to be charged in Singapore. The lawyer referred to this as a "grey area".
