2 Chinese nationals posing as tourists approach man at supermarket, allegedly scam him out of $800
Two Chinese nationals, a 31-year-old man and a 30-year-old woman, allegedly posed as tourists to scam a man out of $800.
The police received a report on Sept 4 at about 2.25pm from the scam victim who was allegedly cheated by the duo.
Preliminary investigations revealed that a day earlier, the duo had approached the victim at the main entrance of a supermarket at Joo Koon Circle.
The only supermarket at the address is NTUC FairPrice at FairPrice Hub.
They presented themselves as tourists from Hong Kong who were facing financial difficulties due to a malfunctioning bank card. The 31-year-old man asked the victim for $800 in cash to fulfil an urgent hotel payment.
The man allegedly presented a fabricated bank transfer receipt to the victim as purported proof of payment in exchange for the cash. To further establish credibility, the man also presented a counterfeit gold ring and claimed that it was worth RM11,980 (S$3,660).
The victim withdrew $800 and handed the cash to the man.
The victim only discovered that he had been cheated after he realised that no money was transferred to his account. He verified with his bank that the transfer was fictitious and confirmed at a pawn shop that the ring was a counterfeit.
Through follow-up investigations, officers from Tanglin Police Division established the identities of the duo and arrested them within 24 hours of the report.
Fifteen identical counterfeit gold rings, cash amounting to $1,578 and mobile phones containing fabricated transaction receipts were seized as case exhibits.
The duo were charged in court on Sept 6 with cheating with common intention. The offence carries an imprisonment term of up to 10 years and a fine.
The police advise members of the public to be cautious when approached by strangers seeking financial assistance.
