Jail for woman who cheated restaurants of $9,000 in meals using edited PayNow screenshots
A woman who used edited PayNow screenshots to scam restaurants of some $9,000 over a period of more than two years, has been sentenced to a year and 11 months in prison.
Shin Min Daily News reported that Santos-Tumalip Maria Monalyn Bagaporo, 33, faced seven charges including cheating, theft, fraud, and obstruction of justice.
The Filipino national pleaded guilty to four charges, with the remaining charges taken into consideration for her sentencing.
Cheated seafood restaurant of almost $4,000
Beginning in May 2022, Bagaporo started ordering food from the Home of Seafood restaurant at Joo Chiat Place. Using PayNow, she would transfer the amount charged by the restaurant to herself before taking a screenshot of the transaction.
Using an app, she edited the screenshot to alter the recipient to Home of Seafood. Bagaporo would then send the edited screenshots via WhatsApp as proof of payment.
Between May 2022 and August 2023, Bagaporo used this method 35 times to dupe Home of Seafiood into delivering her food worth about $3,892.
While the restaurant manager would check the screenshots to ensure that the order matched the transfer amount and date, he did not check bank records to confirm whether the payment had been received.
He only discovered the scam on Sept 2, 2023 while reviewing bank account statements, and subsequently made a police report.
Duped Italian restaurant of more than $6,000
Between June 15, 2024 and May 28, 2025, Bagaporo also used the same method to place 24 takeaway orders via WhatsApp with the Italian restaurant Baci Baci.
The total value of these takeaway orders was $6,167.52. Bagaporo used the delivery platform Lalamove to deliver the food to her.
On May 25, 2025, Baci Baci discovered that no payments had been made and lodged a police report.
In addition, Bagaporo used the same method to fraudulently purchase a hair treatment voucher from a salon in Stamford Road this year. She later used the voucher to pay for a hair treatment worth $381.50.
After discovering that payment had not been made, the salon staff repeatedly reminded Bagaporo to make payment. The salon director eventually made a police report in July.
She wanted to 'impress' her friends
The court heard that Bagaporo "wanted to order food for her friends and impress them". She has since made full restitution to House of Seafood and the hair salon.
The prosecution had sought 23.5 to 27 months' jail for Bagaporo due to her "flagrant and recalcitrant offending behaviour", CNA reported.
She also reoffended while on court bail and repeatedly used the same scheme to cheat businesses into providing her with food or services, the prosecution added.
