A 34-year-old woman is being investigated by the Singapore Police Force for falsely claiming that she had been robbed by two men in Yishun.

According to the police, they had received a call for help on 16 March at about 10.25pm, claiming that she was robbed of $6,700 by two unknown men along Block 504 Yishun Street 51.

The woman allegedly told them that the men were also armed with a knife.

However, based on the police’s subsequent investigations and using images from Police cameras, the officers from Woodlands Police Division ascertained that the woman had lied to the police.

At the time of writing, police investigations against the woman are ongoing, and the Singapore Police Force warned against providing false information to them, which carries a jail term of up to 2 years and/or a fine.

The Singapore Police Force’s press release

WOMAN INVESTIGATED FOR PROVIDING FALSE INFORMATION TO PUBLIC SERVANT

The Police are investigating a 34-year-old woman for allegedly providing false information to a public servant.

On 16 March 2023 at about 10.25pm, the police received a call from the woman allegedly claiming to have been robbed of her cash amounting to $6700 by two unknown male subjects in the vicinity of Blk 504 Yishun Street 51. She purportedly further informed that the men were armed with a knife.

Through investigations and with the aid of images from Police cameras, officers from Woodlands Police Division established that the women had provided false information to the police.

Police investigations against the woman are ongoing. Anyone convicted of giving any information which a person knows to be false to a public servant carries an imprisonment term which may extend to two years or with a fine, or both.

The Police would like to remind the public that police resources could be put to better use in dealing with real crimes and emergencies than investigating into false reports or false information. Those who lodge false Police reports or provide false information will face serious consequences under the law.

PUBLIC AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT
SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE
20 March 2023 @ 12:15 PM

Facebook user Pauline Soon shared how she had a power trip in the middle of the night at her workplace, and she then Googled for a 24-hour electrician.

She found one and contacted the electrician, who quoted her a whopping $350 for his transport fees to reach her workplace if there were no repairs required, which she agreed to because it was already midnight.

Upon reaching her workplace, the electrician then did some “minor checking” of each circuit breaker, before telling her that the whole circuit breaker was spoiled and quoted her $2,300 to change the whole thing.

The woman then checked with a friend who told her not to agree because it was too expensive.

She later found out that the power trip was caused by a faulty fridge instead and not the circuit breaker, and that their circuit breaker was fine all along unlike what the electrician had suggested.

She also included photos of other customers’ experiences with the electrician, with many claiming that they had been scammed by him as well.

Here is what she said

Please help to SHARE!!!

SCAMMER 24hr Electrician in SG!!!

Incident: My workplace has a power trip @ 12am, I Google for 24hr electrician and found this contact. He quoted $350 transport fees if no repair required. I agreed as its already midnight.

He came did some minor checking instead of professional checking of each breaker to see what causes the trip and said the whole circuit breaker is spoilt and needed to change the whole breaker which will cost $2,300.

We were shocked hearing it. So we called another friend to ask for advise and did not agree in The change of whole circuit breaker.

In the end, it wasn’t issue with circuit breaker, it was trip by a faulty fridge.

After this I went to google for this number and realise I wasn’t the only one who was almist scammed. So please beware and share!!!

Netizens’ comments

1. I can co relate to your case. Especially those so call 24 hours plumber. Their knife is very sharp. I kena chop before too.
2. I asked for free consultation quotation if they came to check on my unit, the fellow keep says i need to check with my boss and no follow up

Source: Facebook

The Singapore Police Force said in a press release that they have arrested 2 men, aged 26 and 31, for their suspected involvement in a scam on the e-commerce website Carousell, where they allegedly sold counterfeit Apple Airpods to victims.

The police added that both men were charged in court on 18 March under Section 420 of the Penal Code 1871, under the offence of cheating.

The Singapore Police Force said that they have received several police reports from the victims who had suspected they were cheated into buying the fake AirPods on Carousell from 11 March to 15 March last week.

The victims had been deceived into thinking that the Apple AirPods were authentic because the products were sold in sealed boxes with serial numbers to make them look real.

When the victims received the products that they paid for, they then discovered that the AirPods were actually fake and not genuine.

Officers from the Bedok Police Division then commenced follow-up investigations and established the identities of the two men, and they were both arrested on 17 March 2023.

About 18 boxes of fake Apple AirPods were also seized by the police, along with 3 mobile phones, that will be used as case exhibits.

If found guilty of cheating, the men face a jail term of up to 10 years and a fine.

Online purchase scam

An unusually good deal for a gadget, amusement park or concert tickets attracts your attention online. You transfer payment to the “seller” who promises delivery of the item.

In some cases, the seller demands further payment for duties or delivery charges after the first payment is made. Ultimately, you never receive the item.

In another variant, you may be asked to pay in cash for items that you did not purchase, that are different to what you thought you purchased or are cheap replicas.

Many of these fake sellers may pose as legitimate online sellers on popular marketplaces, create fake websites, or even place advertisements on social media to build credibility.

You only realise you’ve been scammed after paying for the items in cash.

Signs of scams

1. Be wary of good deals
   If its too good to be true, chances are it is. These deals often go for way below market price disguised as a one-time-only or flash deals. Scammers may also promote popular, sold-out items for above market price.
2. Lack of information
   Scammers often omit product information and/or have unstated terms and conditions
3. Tries to take conversation off platform
   Scammers may try to take the conversation off platform to avoid detection
4. Request payment via direct bank transfer
   Scammers will often ask you to pay via direct bank transfer in return for a discount
5. Asks for multiple payments
   Scammers may also ask for extra payments like admin charges and freight charges

Staying safe

Always choose to deal with reputable sellers who have good ratings and reviews and have been with the site for some time.

For high-value items, use reputable platforms with consumer protection and return policies.

Always check the terms and conditions and ensure fees are stated upfront.

Additional fees such as GST may be levied on goods that exceed a certain value ($400) for more information visit Singapore Customs: www.customs.gov.sg/individuals/buying-over-the-internet/