Man charged in alleged Pokémon card scam involving more than 100 cases
A 29-year-old man has been charged in Singapore for allegedly running more than 100 e-commerce scams involving Pokémon trading cards, causing over S$80,000 in losses. Eugene Kwek Yi Jun was arrested on 1 Dec. and charged on 3 Dec. He is accused of taking payments for cards he never delivered. His case returns to court on 10 Dec.
- 29-year-old Singaporean charged over more than 100 Pokémon card scam cases involving losses exceeding S$80,000.
- Victims paid via bank transfers or PayNow after seeing listings on Carousell, but never received the cards; one victim transferred S$1,800 to another individual identified as Desmond Wong.
- Suspect remanded, with court mention set for 10 Dec.; cheating carries up to 10 years’ jail and a fine.
SINGAPORE: A 29-year-old man accused of running a large-scale online scam involving limited-edition Pokémon trading cards has been brought before a Singapore district court, following his arrest on 1 December.
Eugene Kwek Yi Jun was charged on 3 December with one count of cheating linked to a victim, as investigations continue into more than 100 suspected scam cases amounting to losses of at least S$80,000.
How the Alleged Scam Worked
According to the Singapore Police Force (SPF), Kwek had advertised pre-order listings for limited-edition Pokémon trading cards on the online marketplace Carousell.
Interested buyers transferred payment through bank transfers, believing they had secured the collectible items.
However, the items were never delivered.
When questioned, Kwek allegedly claimed that delivery had been delayed, but eventually stopped responding altogether.
SPF said the man is believed to be involved in at least 111 cases of such scams.
Details from Court Documents
Court documents show that Kwek allegedly deceived a victim between 23 October and 1 December by claiming he had Pokémon cards available for sale.
The victim paid S$1,800 via PayNow to another man identified as Desmond Wong, though no additional details about Wong were disclosed.
This charge represents only one of the many cases being investigated.
Arrest and Court Proceedings
Kwek was arrested on 1 December by officers from the Commercial Affairs Department after his identity was established from ongoing investigations.
On 3 December, the court ordered that he be remanded at the Central Police Division.
His case has been scheduled for further mention on 10 December.
Penalties and Wider Anti-Scam Measures
Under Section 420 of Singapore’s Penal Code, cheating carries a maximum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment and a fine.
Authorities also noted that the Criminal Law (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill—passed on 4 November 2025—will soon introduce mandatory caning for scammers, including syndicate members and recruiters, with penalties ranging from six to 24 strokes depending on the severity of the offence.
Individuals who assist scam operations, such as by providing SIM cards or lending Singpass credentials, may face up to 12 strokes of discretionary caning for certain offences.
Police Advisory on Preventing Online Scams
The Singapore Police Force advised the public to remain vigilant when purchasing high-demand or limited-edition items online.
Members of the public are encouraged to:
- Be wary of prices that seem unusually low
- Buy only from authorised sellers or reputable platforms
- Use payment methods with buyer protection that releases funds only upon delivery
- Avoid direct bank transfers and off-platform messaging apps such as WhatsApp or WeChat
More information on scam prevention is available at www.scamshield.gov.sg and the ScamShield Helpline can be reached at 1799.
Anyone with information related to scams may contact the Police Hotline at 1800-255-0000 or submit information anonymously via the i-Witness platform at www.police.gov.sg/i-witness
0 Comments