Singapore says Shopee safe as Amazon against scams. Carousell, Facebook Marketplace rank worst
- Shopee has joined Amazon, Lazada and Qoo10 at the top of the Singapore’s anti-scam rankings, the city state’s home affairs ministry said on Wednesday
- Carousell and Facebook Marketplace, meanwhile, have remained in the bottom two tiers of the ratings since they were first launched in May 2022
Carousell and Facebook Marketplace, meanwhile, have remained in the bottom two tiers of the ratings since they were first launched in May 2022.
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The ratings, which are refreshed annually, seek to provide consumers with information on the anti-scam measures implemented by e-commerce platforms operating in Singapore.
The overall safety rating assigned to each platform indicates the extent measures critical to guard against scams have been implemented, based on the authenticity of users, transaction safety, availability of loss remediation channels for consumers, and the effectiveness of anti-scam measures.
The ratings range from one to four ticks, with four being the highest. The top rating is awarded to platforms that implement all critical anti-scam features, resulting in a low number of reported scams.
In the latest review, the Home Affairs Ministry said Shopee’s rating had improved from three to four ticks after it fully implemented user verification against government-issued documentation for all sellers.
“The number of reported e-commerce scams on their platform has reduced by 65 per cent, from 311 cases in 2022 to 109 cases in 2023,” the ministry said.
The other platforms awarded the four-tick rating – Amazon, Lazada and Qoo10 – have been in the top tier since the rating system was launched two years ago.
Carousell and Facebook Marketplace obtained two ticks and one tick, respectively.
The ministry said that based on the modus operandi of e-commerce scammers, user authentication and secure payment options were considered as critical safeguards.
“Consumers should look out for seller accounts that have their identities verified against government-issued documentation by the platforms. Scammers are more likely to use unverified accounts to list their products and services,” it said in a statement.
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“These safety features have proven to be effective in combating scams. E-commerce marketplaces that have put in place these safety features have seen significant reduction in e-commerce scams.”
E-commerce scams remain one of the top types of online swindles in Singapore, the ministry said, adding that they usually involve the sale of goods and services that are ultimately not delivered after payment has been made.
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Last year, 9,783 e-commerce scam cases were reported, double the 4,762 cases in 2022, police said in February.
Almost half of the reported scams in 2023 were perpetrated on Facebook, where the number of cases surged to 4,550 from 1,138 in the previous year.
To enhance collaboration, the ministry said that Singapore police’s anti-scam command unit had been working with e-commerce platforms to co-locate staff.
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“Carousell and Shopee have started to physically co-locate their staff at the anti-scam command. We encourage more online platforms and e-commerce marketplaces to do so,” it said.
Sun, who is also minister of state at Singapore’s Ministry of Social and Family Development and chairwoman of the Inter-Ministry Committee on Scams, said: “In the fight against scams, partners are essential. The government cannot do this alone.
“I urge all e-commerce marketplaces to implement the critical safety features, specifically user verification against government-issued documentation and secure payment options, to protect their online users from e-commerce scams,” she said.
