MAN ARRESTED FOR A SERIES OF RENTAL SCAMS

The Police have arrested a 32-year-old man for his suspected involvement in a series of rental scams via a Telegram group chat.

Between March and May 2023, the Police received several reports lodged by victims on home rental scams. The man had contacted the victims who expressed their interest to rent either bedrooms or the whole housing unit in a Telegram group chat, on the pretext of renting out rooms at a housing unit along Yishun Avenue 11. After receiving payments for the deposits of more than $7,500 via bank transfers, the man allegedly cancelled the agreements and did not rent the promised rooms or unit out.

Through follow-up investigations, officers from Woodlands Police Division established the identity of the man and arrested him on 30 May 2023.

The man will be charged in court on 31 May 2023 with the offence of cheating under Section 420 of the Penal Code 1871. The offence carries an imprisonment term of up to ten years and a fine.

The Police would like to remind members of the public to be wary of such scams and to adopt the following precautionary measures to avoid falling prey to rental scams:

Do not make any advance payment until the tenancy is confirmed, and pay the rental deposit and rents by cheque or via bank transfer for documentary proof;

Visit the housing unit which you intend to rent to confirm its existence, the unit’s condition and potential signs of multiple subletting; and

Verify the identities of the person/s whom you are dealing with and their relationship to the housing unit, especially when you are not engaging the services of a licensed estate agent or registered salespersons.
For more information on scams, members of the public can visit scamalert.sg or call the Anti-Scam Hotline at 1800-722-6688. Anyone with information on such scams may call the Police hotline at 1800-255 0000 or submit information online at www.police.gov.sg/iwitness.

PUBLIC AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT
SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE
30 May 2023 @ 9:00 PM

A disgruntled customer recently voiced their dissatisfaction with a Tada driver, raising concerns about the driver’s attitude and the subsequent customer service provided by Tada Singapore. The complaint sheds light on the challenges faced during the booking process and the unpleasant experience that followed.

The customer had booked an Economy Large car, clearly indicating in the remarks that it was for five passengers. However, upon arrival at the pick-up location, the driver displayed a negative attitude towards the group, leaving the impression that he held a racial bias against the man’s companions.

Drives 6-seater but cannot pick up 5 pax

Seeking assistance on how to set up the back seat to accommodate the stated number of passengers, the customer received an unhelpful response from the driver. While attempting to figure it out themselves, the driver made a comment questioning the number of passengers.

The customer clarified that they were five individuals, as stated in the booking app. To their surprise, the driver responded that his car could only accommodate four passengers, despite the obvious fact that it was a 6-seater vehicle.

Frustrated with the driver’s attitude and unwillingness to provide the service they had booked, the customer asked if he wants to drive them or not. The driver simply refused, instructing them to get out of his car. The customers complied, and the driver drove off without canceling the booking. Left without transportation, the customer had to use their spouse’s phone to book another car.

The situation took an unexpected turn when, in the middle of the night, the customer received a payment notification from Tada requesting payment for the canceled ride.

Driver jialat, customer service lagi worse

Confused and dissatisfied, the customer contacted Tada customer service the following morning. The first representative, identified as Sarah, appeared dismissive and hurried to end the call.

The customer explained the entire situation, highlighting the payment mode discrepancy, but Sarah insisted that it was booked as a cash payment, contrary to the customer’s payment preference of QR code.

Frustrated with the first call, the customer made a second attempt to speak with Sarah to avoid having to repeat their concerns. However, the call was abruptly disconnected by a representative named Johnathan, leaving the customer feeling disrespected and unheard.

In their third call to Tada customer service, the customer spoke with Michael, who offered a similar response. Michael acknowledged that transferring calls was not possible and defended Sarah’s handling of the previous conversation.

He explained that the company’s standard operating procedure was to escalate complaints to higher authorities for investigation, and customers could expect a response via email within three working days. When asked why email communication was preferred over a phone call, Michael attributed it to the company’s SOP.

The complaint highlights concerns about the quality of service provided by Tada Singapore, leaving the customer disappointed and questioning the company’s commitment to customer satisfaction.

A woman discovered more than 20 dead pigeons located between two residential blocks in Yishun on 22 May

The woman noticed numerous dead birds and several others on the brink of death in the vicinity. When she inquired about the situation, a cleaner informed her that the pigeons had been given “medicine”.

Nee Soon Town Council, in response to the incident, expressed its commitment to exploring sustainable approaches for managing the pigeon population within the town.

Called ACRES for help

The individual who discovered the pigeons, identified as Ms Aishah by The Straits Times (ST), found them in grassy areas and common spaces between Block 436 and Block 438 on Yishun Avenue 11. Concerned about the situation, she reached out to the Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (Singapore) (ACRES) for assistance. ACRES promptly arrived at the scene within an hour, as reported by ST.

Ms Aishah expressed her sadness and concern over the sight of approximately 20 pigeons lying lifeless in close proximity to residents and their pets. She mentioned that young children, possibly under the age of four, were playing in the area where the birds were found.

Town Council says pigeons transmit diseases

In response to media inquiries, the Nee Soon Town Council (NSTC) acknowledged the incident and communicated with the resident via email to address her concerns. NSTC emphasized its ongoing efforts to enhance services and cater to various resident concerns. It highlighted the health risks associated with pigeons, as they can transmit a wide range of diseases through their droppings, particularly to individuals with weakened immune systems.

NSTC employs a balanced and proactive approach to managing the pigeon population in the town, including the installation of spikes to prevent nesting and roosting, as well as public education campaigns to discourage pigeon feeding and promote proper disposal of food waste. However, despite these efforts, there remains an excess of pigeons in the town.

“Bird nuisance”

Citing an independent survey conducted by the Municipal Services Office in Q4 2022, NSTC stated that Nee Soon GRC had a resident satisfaction rate of 52% concerning bird nuisance, which is below the national average of 60%. Despite the town council’s endeavours to control the pigeon population, residents expressed dissatisfaction.

NSTC assured that its workers possess the necessary skills and methods to handle and remove pigeons during treatment operations while maintaining cleanliness afterwards. It urged residents to report any affected pigeons to the town council.

NSTC also mentioned its collaboration with ACRES to develop a comprehensive solution for addressing the pigeon overpopulation issue in Nee Soon, although specific measures were not disclosed.

Stop using toxins

ACRES co-chief executive, Anbarasi Boopal, revealed that 20 pigeons were found dead and another seven were rescued and treated. The ACRES team suspected that the birds had been exposed to the drug alpha-chloralose (AC) due to their symptoms. Despite Senior Minister of State for National Development Sim Ann’s statement in Parliament that NParks had been working with town councils to move away from using toxins, ACRES has rescued over 1,000 poisoned birds since 2021.

Ms Anbarasi expressed hope that the National Environment Agency (NEA) would implement additional measures such as reducing the pigeons’ food sources and preventing residents from feeding them. She emphasized that culling without addressing the food supply would lead to population growth, as more food would be available for fewer pigeons to breed successfully.

Header images source: Nooraishah Noor on Facebook

On Sunday evening, May 28, a BlueSG rental car lost control and collided with a central divider railing on Punggol Road in Sengkang and crashed into a traffic light.

Following the incident, a 27-year-old man was apprehended on suspicion of driving under the influence.

The accident took place near Rivervale Plaza, prompting the prompt response of Traffic Police officers and a tow truck.

The BlueSG car sustained visible damage, with a cracked windscreen and a fender lying on the road. Additionally, the collision caused a traffic light to collapse and inflicted harm upon the road divider.

At the time the tow truck arrived, the BlueSG car was situated on top of the traffic light and the railing.

Authorities were informed of the incident at 10:22 PM. Preliminary investigations by the police indicate that the car skidded on its own while travelling along Punggol Road, specifically at the junction of Compassvale Drive.

Confirming the details, a police spokesperson stated that a 27-year-old male driver was subsequently taken into custody under suspicion of drink driving. The police are currently conducting further investigations into the matter.

By Tuesday, May 30, the damaged traffic light and road divider had been repaired.

Other BlueSG/GetGo accidents

Just last month, the Singapore Police Force said that they have arrested a 27-year-old man for suspected drink driving offences following an accident in Bayfront Avenue.

A GetGo rental car that the man was believed to have been driving was seen speeding on the road before crashing into a stationary van.

Facebook page SG Road Vigilante posted a video of the accident showing the GetGo rental car speeding and going off the course at the road junction of Bayfront Avenue and Marina Boulevard.

It then crashed into the van that was waiting at a red light at the traffic junction, narrowly missing a motorcyclist who was right beside the van at the time.

The month before that, a BlueSG car was seen beating a red light at a traffic junction and crashing into another car at Pasir Ris.

In the video that was shared on the SG Road Vigilante Facebook page,a BlueSG car could be seen beating a red light at the junction.

Another car was driving through the junction at the same time, and the BlueSG car then crashed into the side of the other car.

The BlueSG car then skidded across the junction, with its headlights immediately going out after crashing into the other car.

The video also included the POV from the dashcam of the other car, as it drove across the traffic junction when the traffic light was yellow.

That same month, a GetGo driver was speeding inside a multi storey carpark and crashed into 3 other cars parked there.

One of the owners of the cars that was hit by the GetGo car, shared the videos on TikTok on 18 April and lamented about how it happened so close to the Hari Raya Puasa weekend.

In the first video shared by the OP, a red coloured car was seen knocked out of its parking spot by the the GetGo car, and its front bumper was also destroyed and fell off.

Because of the impact, the red car then hit another silver car beside it, along with another silver van that was also damaged in the accident.

Following the crash, the netizen’s car was then towed away from the scene, as seen in the second video, at about 4.50 am.

The netizen replied in the comments that the ancient took place at Block 175 Punggol Field, and said that the driver of the GetGo car was a 23-year-old “boy”.

He claimed that the GetGo driver had allegedly been driving at a speed of 50km/h inside the multi storey carpark, which usually has a speed limit of about 15km/h.

@thecrushtheory Nearing raya wtf moment! Some boy crash hit my car . Part 1 #fypシ゚viral #foryou #singapore #fypシ #foryoupage #penyondoliseverywhere ♬ original sound – The Crush Theory

@thecrushtheory Finally towed at 450am. What a night! Want to tow also difficult, the tyre jam. The owner of the cars beside me are gona hv a morning surprise… #fypシ゚viral #foryou #singapore #foryoupage #fyp #fypシ ♬ original sound – The Crush Theory