The Police have arrested a 56-year-old man for his suspected involvement in a series of cheating cases.
Between March 2018 and March 2019, the Police received several reports that a man, who had identified himself as a Housing & Development Board (HDB) appointed contractor, had purportedly cheated victims into handing over deposits ranging from $100 to $300 for repair works that he identified. Preliminary investigations revealed that the man was neither authorised nor appointed by HDB for such works, and had cheated more than 19 victims.
Through follow-up investigations, officers from Bedok Police Division established the identity of the man and arrested him on 1 April 2019.
The man will be charged in court on 3 April 2019 with cheating under Section 420 of the Penal Code, Chapter 224. Anyone found guilty for cheating may be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend up to 10 years, and shall also be liable to a fine.
The Police would like to remind members of the public to be vigilant and wary of persons who may be posing as HDB appointed contractors, officers from other government agencies, or even staff from private companies. They should always ask for verification details such as official staff passes from the agency/company, and if in doubt, call the agency/company to seek further verification. Members of the public who wish to know more on how to guard against such errant contractors may visit the HDB InfoWEB page at https://www.hdb.gov.sg/cs/infoweb/residential/living-in-an-hdb-flat/home-maintenance/guard-against-contractors-on-door-to-door-sales for more advice.
SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE
02 April 2019 @ 10:22 PM