In a ceremony held at Bedok Police Division on 23 October 2019, nine members of the public were commended for their public spiritedness.
In the first case, on 17 May 2018, Mr Tan Teck Heng had assisted the Police in the arrest of a man for criminal intimidation at Bedok Mall. Responding to shouts for help, Mr Tan approached the man who was brandishing a pair of scissors wildly and asked him to calm down before removing the pair of scissors from him. Together with responding security officers, he subdued the man and handed him over to the Police.
To fight scams, officers from Bedok Police Division have been engaging stakeholders such as retailers, banks and remittance agencies to educate their staff on scams and train them to identify tell-tale signs. On five separate occasions, staff of these stakeholders thwarted various scams through timely interventions in suspicious transactions. Together, they successfully prevented a potential loss of more than $100,000.
In the second case, on 18 June 2019, Mr Villasoto Vergel Vicente San Antonio, an employee with Silver Bullion, had assisted the Police in preventing an e-commerce scam at CISCO Building. Mr Villasoto noticed a customer searching for a Bitcoin machine and offered his assistance. Upon further checks, he realised that the approval stamp sent to the customer via a text message was fake. He then advised the customer to lodge a police report.
In the third case, on 3 July 2019, Mr Ismail Bin Rahman, an assistant branch manager with Singpost, had assisted the Police in preventing a cyber extortion scam along Tanjong Katong Road. He observed a customer looking flustered while attempting to remit money. Mr. Ismail felt something was amiss and dissuaded the customer from making his remittance transaction, which turned out to be a scam.
In the fourth case, on 12 September 2019, Mr Wong Yew Kin, Mr Khng Wei Lun and Ms Lai Yixiu; a customer service manager, service ambassador, and digital ambassador respectively with OCBC bank; had assisted the Police in preventing a woman from falling prey to a loan scam at White Sands shopping mall. The trio attended to the woman seeking assistance with her bank transfer and discovered that she did not know the bank account recipient. Suspecting that the customer could be victim of scam, they stopped her bank transfer and immediately alerted the Police.
In the fifth case, on 18 September 2019, Ms Chiang Boon Cheng Kristie and Mr Ong Teck Cheong Alson, a customer service manager and bank teller with OCBC bank, had assisted the Police in preventing an impersonation scam at Parkway Parade shopping mall. They managed to dissuade a customer from making a money transfer instructed by an unknown caller.
In the last case, on 7 October 2019, Ms Sally Tay Siew Lan, a bank teller with DBS bank, had assisted the Police in preventing an impersonation scam and apprehending a male suspect. She attended to a man and woman who sought to withdraw a large sum of money. When she probed, the man behaved suspiciously. Sensing that the man could be a scammer, she immediately alerted the Police.
Deputy Assistant Commissioner of Police (DAC) Julius Lim, Commander of Bedok Police Division said: “What makes these individuals special is the commitment they share to keep their communities safe and secure; to not turn a blind eye to crime; and to take it upon themselves to help their fellow citizens in difficulty. Today, the Singapore Police Force has the opportunity to offer them a small token of our appreciation. We hope their exemplary conduct will inspire others to step forward and serve their communities for a safer tomorrow.”
Mr Tan Teck Heng being awarded the Public Spiritedness Award by DAC Julius Lim.
Mr Villasoto Vergel Vicente San Antonio being awarded the Public Spiritedness Award by DAC Julius Lim.
Mr Ismail Bin Rahman being awarded the Public Spiritedness Award by DAC Julius Lim.
Mr Wong Yew Kin being awarded Public Spiritedness Award by DAC Julius Lim.
Mr Khng Wei Lun being awarded Public Spiritedness Award by DAC Julius Lim.
Ms Lai Yixiu being awarded Public Spiritedness Award by DAC Julius Lim.
Ms Chiang Boon Cheng Kristie being awarded the Public Spiritedness Award by DAC Julius Lim.
Mr Ong Teck Cheong Alson being awarded the Public Spiritedness Award by DAC Julius Lim.
Ms Sally Tay Siew Lan being awarded the Public Spiritedness Award by DAC Julius Lim.
(From left to right): Mr Khng Wei Lun, Mr Ong Teck Cheong Alson, Mr Tan Teck Heng, Mr Ismail Bin Rahman, Mr Villasoto Vergel Vicente San Antonio, Ms Sally Tay Siew Lan, Ms Lai Yixiu, Ms Chiang Boon Cheng Kristie and Mr Wong Yew Kin being awarded the Public Spiritedness Award by DAC Julius Lim.
SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE
23 October 2019 @ 12:15 AM