Nowadays, Singaporeans think nothing of buying and selling stuff from total strangers over online platforms like Carousell.
While many like to opt for shipping, some buyers and sellers prefer to meet up face to face.
When that happens, however, do beware – you could be the victim of a crime.
Like the seller of 2 Rolex watches worth $44,500, who would have been shocked when a potential buyer ran off with them instead.
Thankfully, the alleged thief was arrested by the police after he tried to resell one of the watches.
In a media release on Sunday (8 Mar), the Singapore Police Force (SPF) said a 24-year-old man had indicated that he was interested in buying both watches.
Thus, he arranged to meet up with the seller along Upper Boon Keng Road.
The seller duly did so, apparently.
As the watches cost a hefty sum, it’s reasonable for any buyer to want to check the watches for any damage before buying.
So it’s perhaps unsurprising that the seller allowed the man do to so.
However, while supposedly checking the watches, he allegedly ran away with both them instead.
The SPF said it received a report of the alleged theft on Saturday (6 Mar) afternoon, at about 3.45pm.
Police conductied investigations, and officers from Bedok Police Division and Police Operations Command Centre managed to identify the man from CCTV footage.
They then arrested him, and he’ll be charged in court on Monday (8 Mar)
He stands accused of theft, an offence under Section 379 of the Penal Code.
If found guilty, he’ll face a prison term of up to 3 years and/or a fine.
As for the watches, 1 of them was recovered, the SPF said.
Turns out that it had been put up for sale online again.
The police didn’t reveal what happened to the 2nd watch, so it could be still in the wind.
The cases serves as a reminder that when buying and selling things online, be careful of the people you’re dealing with.
When meeting up with total strangers, do be alert – especially if you’re selling an item of great value.
Hopefully, the seller of the 2 watches manages to get the other one back as well, or it could mean losing out on thousands of dollars.
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Featured image adapted from Google Maps and Sabrinna Ringquist @ Unsplash.
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