Woman loses wallet with $3,000 cash on Genting Dream cruise less than two hours after boarding
A 62-year-old woman lost her wallet containing $3,000 in cash while playing slot machines at the casino aboard a Genting Dream cruise.
She filed a police report but said she is willing to withdraw it if the wallet and money are returned.
In an interview with Shin Min Daily News, Ms Chen (transliterated), said she boarded the Genting Dream cruise operated by StarDream Cruises on April 3 for a three-day, two-night voyage.
Wallet contained $3,000 in cash
Ms Chen said she was at the casino on Deck 6 at around 9pm, playing slot machines.
She had taken cash out of her bag but believed she might not have secured her wallet properly, causing it to fall onto the carpet without her noticing.
She only realised her wallet, described as brownish-yellow, furry and square-shaped, was missing later when she went to a lounge on Deck 8 for drinks and was about to present her room card.
She immediately returned to the casino counter to report the loss and waited onboard for updates.
The wallet contained her room card and 30 $100 notes, totalling $3,000.
The following afternoon, a crew member informed her that CCTV footage showed a female passenger bending down to pick up a wallet matching her description. However, when approached, the passenger denied taking it.
Crew members advised Ms Chen to lodge a police report, as further investigation would require police involvement despite the ship’s CCTV coverage.
‘It happened less than two hours after I boarded’
After disembarking, Ms Chen filed a police report and gave her statement. She is now awaiting further investigations.
She told Shin Min she is prepared to withdraw the report if the wallet and cash are returned, as she hopes for a quick resolution.
“It happened less than two hours after I boarded, and it’s not a small amount – I brought the money to spend on the cruise,” she said, adding that the incident affected her trip and mood.
Stomp has reached out to the police and StarDream Cruises for comment.
Police said a report has been lodged and investigations are ongoing.
Lawyer Huang Guoyan of Invictus Law Corporation told Shin Min that a person who finds another’s property but keeps it without returning it may be committing an offence under Section 403 of the Penal Code for dishonest misappropriation of property.
The offence carries penalties of up to two years’ jail, a fine, or both.
He added that even if the incident occurred outside Singapore’s territorial waters, authorities may still exercise jurisdiction if the cruise ship is registered in Singapore or if the person involved is a Singapore citizen.
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