Fake Delivery Rider Allegedly Steals Chicken Rice Order in Havelock, Police Report Filed
A man dressed as a food delivery rider was caught on CCTV allegedly stealing a customer’s order from a chicken rice stall in Havelock, raising concerns among food operators about an emerging trend of impersonation thefts.
The stall belongs to OK Chicken Rice, a halal-certified local chain with multiple branches across Singapore. The owner, Daniel Tan, reported that the incident occurred at 12.05pm on 28 June and has since lodged a police report. He also warned that such incidents are becoming more frequent.
Caught on Camera: Man in Helmet Picks Up Order Without Verification
In footage posted on OK Chicken Rice’s official Facebook page, a man dressed in black long sleeves, black trousers and wearing a helmet that partially obscured his face can be seen walking up to the stall’s collection table.
He was seen inspecting the food bags while glancing at his phone, seemingly pretending to verify an order. Moments later, he quietly took one bag and left without alerting any staff.
Shortly after, the real delivery rider showed up but discovered that part of the food he was supposed to collect was missing. This led to confusion, and the customer’s order had to be prepared again, causing a delay of approximately 30 minutes.
Stall Owner Offers Thief Compassion – Not Condemnation
Daniel Tan, 45, expressed frustration over the increasing number of such incidents but remained surprisingly empathetic. While the situation led to an unhappy customer, a frustrated delivery rider, and overworked staff, he urged the alleged thief to come forward if he needed help.
“I hope you took the food out of necessity and not malice. If you’re struggling, come find us — we’ll give you a free meal,” he said in the post. He even offered a job opportunity if the individual was unemployed and looking for work.
The stolen food consisted of four lemon cutlet rice bento sets, each priced at S$16.60, totalling S$66.40 in losses. While not a large amount monetarily, the disruption to operations was significant.
Fake Riders Becoming a Growing Problem in the Delivery Industry
Tan, who oversees 17 outlets islandwide, said this was not an isolated case. He admitted that with about a million delivery orders processed each month, it is impossible to verify every single handover perfectly. While staff are trained to check, the sheer volume makes 100% accuracy unachievable.
He highlighted that such impersonations have led to misunderstandings, arguments, and financial losses. Fortunately, in this instance, his staff were able to review CCTV footage immediately and resolve the matter — albeit with a 30-minute delay to the customer.
Tan added that he doesn’t have high expectations for any outcome from the police report but felt it necessary to document the incident.
OK Chicken Rice has long supported community initiatives, such as the “Pay It Forward” programme during Singapore’s 2020 ‘Circuit Breaker’, offering meals to those in need. They also distributed food to taxi and private-hire drivers whose incomes were impacted during the pandemic.
Tan hopes his continued efforts in helping others may encourage those in need to seek help rather than resort to theft.
As impersonator riders become more common, other F&B operators may need to consider additional security or verification measures to safeguard their operations and customer satisfaction.