SINGAPORE: According to the police on Tuesday (Aug 27), at least S$6.8 million (US$5.2 million) has been lost to fictitious bulk order scams since April, with over 420 cases documented. Recent cases have targeted the food and beverage and service industries.
Usually, under the guise of placing large orders or making reservations, scammers will call or message restaurants, shops, or service-related companies in Singapore while pretending to be instructors from local universities.
They will ask for extra items, brands of items that the businesses usually don’t carry, or larger quantities of items than the retailers can quickly supply. The alleged client would subsequently suggest a’supplier’ for the victims to buy from,” the police stated.
Scammers may show screenshots of their partial payment to the victim for the bulk order in order to trick victims into paying the fictitious suppliers upfront. Victims would only realise that they had been scammed when they did not receive any payment from the purported customer, or when the supplier did not deliver the goods.
Also Read:
Despite Attempts to Restore Trust, China and the Philippines Clash in the South China Sea
The Dalai Lama and Senior US Officials Meet in New York
