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Man arrested after camera rental scams in which victims lost over $50,000

The victims suffered losses amounting to at least $50,000, said the police. ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI

SINGAPORE - A 32-year-old man has been arrested for his suspected involvement in a series of camera rental scams.

In a statement on Dec 11, the police said they received reports between September to November from victims who were allegedly fooled by the man.

The victims loaned their digital cameras and accessories to the man, but once the rental period was over, he became uncontactable.

The victims suffered losses amounting to at least $50,000, said the police.

The man was arrested on Dec 10, after officers from the Woodlands and Ang Mo Kio Police Divisions established his identity through follow-up investigations.

He will be charged in court on Dec 12 with the offence of cheating, which carries an imprisonment term of up to 10 years and a fine.

“The police take a serious view against any person who commits fraud, and the perpetrators will be dealt with in accordance with the law,” said the police.

On Sept 17, the police had arrested a 21-year-old man for cheating after two victims of a similar camera rental equipment scam had laid out a trap to catch a man they suspected of cheating them.

The two victims informed the police of the trap after they had set it up, leading to the suspect’s arrest at Swissotel The Stamford. Police said then that investigations were ongoing.

Even after that arrest, however, members of the camera rental community reported similar scams, which made them believe that the man arrested was not the only perpetrator of the scam, and that others also behind it are still at large.

In mid-year scam and cyber-crime statistics released on Aug 22 by the police, scam victims lost a record high of more than $385.6 million in the first six months of 2024.

If the trend continues, scam losses could exceed $770 million by the end of 2024.