'Supplier of N95 masks' to be charged with cheating firm of almost S$1m

SINGAPORE — A 35-year-old man claimed to be a supplier of N95 masks and personal protection gowns, and sought payment of almost S$1 million from an overseas-based distributor for the purchase of these items.

The distributor transferred the money but the items never arrived, and the man stopped contact completely.

The police eventually tracked the supposed supplier and he will be charged in court on Thursday (May 28) with cheating. The offence could land him in jail for up to 10 years.

He will also be facing money-laundering charges, the police said in a press release on Wednesday.

The police were alerted on May 21 about a distribution company based overseas that was defrauded of more than US$646,000 (S$917,000) for the purchase of N95 masks and personal protection gowns from a supposed Singapore supplier.

After establishing the identity of this supplier, the police arrested him on May 26. Two watches and more than S$81,000 in cash were seized.

The police said that the man had put the payment received from the distributor in several bank accounts here and overseas.

"Through quick intervention and close collaboration with the three local banks, namely DBS, OCBC and UOB, the police’s Anti-Scam Centre managed to recover more than S$370,000 of the amount scammed," they said.

"Efforts are underway to trace and recover the remaining monies."

The police reminded the public that they take a serious view of those who "take advantage of the current Covid-19 situation to perpetrate crimes and will spare no efforts in taking all those who flout the laws to task".

For more information on scams, members of the public may 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.