Four tips on shopping safely online

22 Mar 2025

SP student Brian Yee, has been shopping online since 2022, spending up to $100 monthly on clothes and skincare. However, he has also encountered faulty products, including a $90 perfume that smelled only of alcohol and was non-refundable. Such issues are widespread. In 2024, the Consumers Association of Singapore (Case) received 665 complaints related to e-commerce, with common grievances including delivery failures, defective goods, and misleading claims. More alarmingly, e-commerce scams topped Singapore’s scam cases in 2024. The Singapore Police Force recorded 11,665 cases, with at least $17.5 million lost. Victims aged 19 and below made up about 10% of total scam victims. Experts recommend four key tips to avoid scams and defective purchases when shopping online. They recommend shopping from recognised retailers, researching and checking reviews, looking out for red flags and choosing secure payment options.

[The Straits Times]