2 conmen offering phony jobs arrested

[Athena]

2 conmen offering phony jobs arrested

AsiaOne
Wednesday, Jan 09, 2013

SINGAPORE: Police have arrested two 40-year-old Chinese men who are believed to be involved in at least four cases of cheating island-wide.

Since June, police have been receiving several reports where victims were cheated of money paid to the suspects as fees to secure lucrative job offers.

In all the cases, the suspects posed as agents from a job agency and befriended the victims, offering them various job opportunities with attractive salaries.

In order to secure employment, the victims would have to pay 'agent fees' ranging from $2,250 to $5,200. After the suspects received the money, they went into hiding and were uncontactable.

Through follow-up investigations, police officers managed to establish the identities of both suspects. However, they remained elusive.

On Jan 8, an operation was mounted to track down the suspects.

The first suspect was arrested along Hougang Ave 8 in the morning, while the second suspect was arrested at a coffeeshop located at Blk 131 Bukit Merah View in the late afternoon.

They will be charged in court on Jan 10 for cheating, which carries a maximum jail term of 10 years imprisonment and a fine.

Commander of Ang Mo Kio Police Division, Deputy Assistant Commissioner of Police Keok Tong San, urged other victims who might have fallen prey to come forward to lodge police reports.

He added that members of the public are advised not to make advance payments to secure job offers made by strangers that are too good to be true. It would be prudent to verify further with the job agency on the job offer and payment details before handing over any money.

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