2 crabs for $9.99? TikToker warns about scam after it resurfaces online

Singaporeans love a good deal and will not pass up on discounts especially when they involve food.

However, those craving for crabs should beware of a scam offering two crabs for $9.99 that's recently circulating on TikTok.

TikTok user Melissa Wix said she almost fell for the scam, and posted a video on Friday (July 23) night to warn others about it.

"Previously they called themselves Crabber Restro, now they've changed it to Jack Crab and they're offering crabs at ridiculously low prices," she said.

In her video, she showed the cheap deals listed under "Crab Delivery Singapore" offered by Jack Crab Restro on TikTok.

The address given, 175 Bencoolen Street, is Burlington Square.

There's no store with such a name when AsiaOne checked the building's directory but Jack Crab is the name of a restaurant in the United States that closed down in April this year.

"When you go to their website to purchase the crabs, they will ask for your address and credit card details," the 25-year-old said.

But she advised others not to fill up the online form with their personal details because she realised that it was not secure, adding that the scammers are able to see the details in the form.

@melissawix

Please don’t fall for this crab scam! ##tiktoksg ##scam

♬ original sound - Melissa Wix

"The reason why I know this is… I typed in my details 'cause I was stupid."

After filling the form, she was taken to a webpage where they asked for an OTP (one-time password).

"I got suspicious so I keyed in random (alphabet letters) and numbers and once I pressed OK, they said, 'Payment received'."

The TikToker figured that it was impossible for an online merchant to receive a payment if the OTP was wrong, and decided to make a video to share her experience.

"I don't know why TikTok approved the ad but please don't fall for the scam," she said, urging those who have gotten tricked to quickly contact their banks to cancel their credit or debit cards.

She saw the ad on TikTok many times over the past few days and wanted to alert others of the scam because "the website looked pretty legit until the OTP part," she told AsiaOne on Saturday. 

However, she didn't make a police report on the incident, saying: "I did not make a police report as I cancelled my card immediately."

While a video showing a young woman feasting on crabs was used in the ad, Melissa Wix said that the footage was repurposed by the scammers.

Local influencer Esther Hillary confirmed in a series of Instagram Stories that her video was used without permission and said that she is not involved in the scam. She has also filed a police report on the matter.

In the comments section, several TikTok users said they almost fell for the scam and urged the platform to look into the issue.

Similar scam appeared on Instagram in April

In April, a man lost $18,000 after falling prey to a similar scam offering two crabs for $9.99.

He told Lianhe Wanbao that he chanced upon the offer on Instagram, and said that the scam website was masquerading as local zi char restaurant 8 Crab.

As he proceeded with payment, he received an error message and another notification saying that his credit card had been linked to an Apple Pay account.

Realising something was amiss, he called his bank but the scammers had siphoned $18,579 from his bank account by then. The man lodged a police report.

Members of the public should always remain vigilant and verily the authenticity of the websites they access.

Those who have information related to scams may call the police hotline at 1800-255-0000 or visit the i-Witness website. To seek scam-related advice, call the anti-scam helpline at 1800-722-6688, or visit the Scam Alert website.

AsiaOne has contacted TikTok for more information.

lamminlee@asiaone.com