Man loses $700 in alleged Carousell MacBook scam despite seller's over 100 reviews: 'Don't trust good reviews'
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Man loses $700 in alleged Carousell MacBook scam despite seller's over 100 reviews: 'Don't trust good reviews'
Relying on reviews, a man attempted to purchase a used MacBook for $700 on Carousell, but ended up getting scammed, Facebook user Kamirul Johari shared in a video post on Sept 3.
In the video, a visibly distraught Kamirul shared that he had just been scammed of $700 and that he didn't know what to do.
Pressing his forehead to nurse a developing headache, the 28-year-old shared that he wanted to buy a MacBook Air to replace his current device that was reaching the end of its life.
Browsing Carousell past midnight on Sept 3, he found a person selling a MacBook Air for around $850, according to the listing.
Kamirul said he then bargained the price down to $700, and he exchanged WhatsApp contact details with the purported seller.
"He said he's flying off and he needs to sell it as soon as possible," he recalled.
Continuing their conversation on WhatsApp, Kamirul was convinced by the seller's quick response times, and ratings with over 100 positive reviews.
They then arranged to meet at 6am that morning, he recalled.
Pointing at himself, Kamirul added: "I don't know why this idiot transferred [the scammer] the money first… I did transfer him the money of $700, full."
Once the payment was made via PayNow, the seller became unresponsive, refusing to reply messages or respond to phone calls.
He then paid an additional $37.30 for a Lalamove driver to pick up the MacBook from Eastwood Green in Bedok.
However, the driver was not able to find an address that matched the unit number provided by the seller, Kamirul shared.
He also wrote in his video: "All I can say, don't trust good reviews. Because you might get that one unlucky seller and end up getting scammed."
Kamirul shared in his video that he has since gathered the evidence he had and filed a police report.
Responding to queries from AsiaOne, the police confirmed that a report has been lodged and an investigation is ongoing.
'I didn't think of this scam until it happened to me'
In a follow-up video, Kamirul responded to comments that admonished him for paying the full amount before receiving the product.
"I didn't think of this scam until it happened to me… when it happens, obviously you'd feel f***** up."
He revealed that he later created a separate Carousell account and contacted the alleged scammer again, pretending to be interested in buying the device again.
Once in touch, he then confronted the alleged scammer, requesting for a refund for his previous transaction.
However, the seller informed him that he shares his account with "a friend" who had deleted the conversation with Kamirul.
This friend was the one who scammed Kamirul, the seller claimed.
"At this point, I'm not sure whether to trust this person or not… he was being cooperative," Kamirul said.
The seller provided Kamirul with his friend's name and socials, claiming that his friend was not replying to him either.
"The worst part [is that] the friend is not in Singapore," Kamirul added, showing a screenshot of the conversation with the seller, who wrote that his friend was in "Armenia or China".
Account compromised, says Carousell
Speaking with AsiaOne, Kamirul explained that he had been rushing to get work done and felt that Carousell was a "reliable and trusted source".
It was only when the delivery driver contacted him regarding the non-existent Eastwood Green unit number that he realised he had been scammed.
"I felt the world just collapse because the money I save was my hard-earned money," he said.
Kamirul, who works in customer service, added: "[The $700] means a lot to me, as getting a job is hard and the job market in Singapore is bad."
Responding to queries from AsiaOne, Carousell confirmed that the seller's account was compromised by a third party and was suspended on Sept 3.
Carousell has also enlisted their customer support team to assist Kamirul, adding that it has taken all action within their authority.
Any further action against the parties involved have been left to relevant authorities, it also stated.
The e-commerce platform also advised users to keep all communications regarding transactions to Carousell as well as keep an eye out for listings with Buyer Protection enabled.
This allows the platform to hold payment until the buyer confirms the product is received, and also allows a refund if the transaction is not successful.
"Transactions made through external payment methods are not covered by this protection," Carousell stated.
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