In a bizarre turn of events, a 55-year-old woman found herself in hot water after allegedly sending an email containing a letter that she had forged and tried to pass off as coming from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), according to The Straits Times.
She is set to be charged in court on 29 September for forgery for the purpose of cheating.
This audacious act of forgery has raised eyebrows and concerns about the lengths some individuals are willing to go to achieve their goals.
The Email That Raised Suspicion
An investigation officer from Singapore Customs had received an email that requested for a security deposit to be returned, and included in the email was a letter allegedly from the Prime Minister’s Office demanding that the matter be sped up.
The authorities swiftly initiated an investigation. The first step was to verify the authenticity of the letter with the PMO. It was later confirmed that the letter was a clever forgery, never originating from the PMO in the first place.
A police report was then lodged with the Singapore Police Force on 22 June.
The Arrest and Subsequent Revelations
With mounting evidence pointing towards the woman’s involvement in this audacious act, officers from the Jurong Police Division took swift action.
On June 27, she was apprehended, and preliminary investigations only served to implicate her further. It was revealed that she had not only forged the letter but had also sent another fabricated letter from the PMO.
This time, she had emailed it to the Housing and Development Board (HDB), demanding the immediate refund of funds she had paid for the bidding of two minimart shops.
The Legal Implications
Forgery for the purpose of cheating is a severe offence in Singapore. If found guilty, she may face imprisonment of up to 10 years and significant fines.
This stern penalty underscores the severity of manipulating official documents and impersonating government authorities.