A 46-year-old man is set to be charged in court after allegedly cheating a supermarket in Woodlands by repeatedly manipulating self-checkout kiosks to avoid paying for groceries. His actions reportedly resulted in over $500 worth of unpaid items over a span of nearly three months.
The incident first came to light on 21 March 2025, when staff from a supermarket along Woodlands Street 82 alerted the police after detaining the suspect. According to the Singapore Police Force, the man had attempted to pay only $0.60 for groceries worth more than $34 by scanning and voiding barcodes at a self-checkout machine.
Over Two Dozen Similar Cases Traced Back to Suspect
Further investigations uncovered a disturbing pattern. Between 2 January and 21 March 2025, the man had allegedly executed the same method on 26 separate occasions at the same supermarket. He would scan items as if purchasing them, then void the transactions at the self-checkout kiosk, effectively walking away with goods without proper payment.
In total, the voided transactions amounted to more than $500 in stolen merchandise. The suspect’s behaviour highlights growing concerns over the misuse of unmanned retail systems, which are increasingly popular across supermarkets in Singapore for their speed and convenience.
Faces Up to 10 Years’ Jail for Cheating Offences
The suspect will be formally charged in court on 17 July 2025 for the offence of cheating under Section 420 of the Penal Code 1871, read with Section 124(4) of the Criminal Procedure Code 2010. If found guilty, he could face a jail term of up to 10 years, and shall also be liable to a fine.
The Singapore Police Force has reminded the public that all forms of dishonest conduct, including tampering with self-checkout systems, are taken seriously and will be dealt with firmly. Members of the public are urged to use such facilities responsibly, as technology-enabled theft may leave digital trails that assist in investigations and enforcement.
Retail theft via self-checkout counters has seen an uptick globally, and Singapore is not immune to such trends. While automation improves efficiency, it also creates new avenues for dishonest acts—underscoring the importance of surveillance, staff training, and public awareness.