A 17-year-old girl was arrested on Monday for allegedly scamming at least 20 people out of a total of $1,200 by selling bogus concert merchandise on online marketplace Carousell.

In a statement yesterday, police said it received several reports between September and December last year from victims who were allegedly cheated by an online seller hawking concert merchandise of South Korean boy bands BTS and Monsta X on Carousell.

After the victims paid using bank transfers, they either did not receive the items or got counterfeit ones.

The Commercial Affairs Department established the identity of the teenager through follow-up investigations, police said.

The teenager will be charged today with cheating. If convicted, she can be jailed for up to 10 years and fined.

In its statement, police advised those who shop online to take the following precautions:

Bear in mind that the party you are dealing with online is a stranger. Find out how the online shopping site safeguards your interest or can help you resolve disputes.

Insist on cash on delivery

If advance payment is required, use shopping platforms that provide arrangements to release your payment to the seller only upon your receipt of the item.

For more information on scams, visit scamalert.sg or call the Anti-Scam hotline on 1800-722-6688.