They are serial Sinkie criminals
Woman jailed 5 years for cheating S$45,000 from victims, housebreaking
By LOUISA TANG
Reuters file photo
A serial cheater who swindled S$45,000 from more than 20 victims, including using stolen credit cards to shop online, was sentenced to five years’ jail.
Published21 JUNE, 2018UPDATED 21 JUNE, 2018
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SINGAPORE — A serial cheater who swindled S$45,000 from more than 20 victims, including using stolen credit cards to shop online, was sentenced to five years' jail on Thursday (June 21).
Malani Naidu Prabhakar Naidu, 31, pleaded guilty to 15 charges of housebreaking, cheating, dishonestly receiving and retaining stolen property, and drug consumption and possession. Another 53 similar charges were taken into consideration for sentencing.
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The court heard that she had committed several of the offences with her boyfriend Prakash Mathivanan, 34, who faces 113 charges. His case is still pending.
Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Cheng Yuxi told the court that Malani cheated her victims through investment and rental scams, targeting them using online platforms such as Facebook, Carousell and Gumtree.
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In one instance, some time in April 2017, Malani advertised that her home was available for rent on Gumtree, claiming to be its owner when she was not. She had rented the unit through the online accommodation-sharing website Airbnb.
Ms Emiko Ishiwatari, a Japanese national living in Singapore, then signed a one-year tenancy agreement with Malani, thinking it was a legitimate deal, and paid her about S$3,600 in rent and utilities fees.
Malani kept a set of spare keys after Ms Ishiwatari moved in. When her boyfriend Prakash learned that the woman had left Singapore for Japan the next month, he used the key to enter the unit and steal about S$12,000 in Japanese yen.
He also took away several items — such as branded handbags and jewellery — and passed some of them to Malani for safekeeping. The total value of the items came up to S$37,300.
Besides rental scams, Malani also conned shoppers on online marketplace Carousell. In July 2016, she "sold" a second-hand refrigerator and washing machine for S$400. After the buyer transferred the money to her for the items, Malani was no longer contactable.
That same year, Malani, Prakash and another man, Gardi Bandi, conspired to get credit card information from third parties in order to buy items and sell them for cash.
Gardi would obtain the credit card details, and Prakash and Malani would buy items either online or in person. On one occasion, Malani used a UOB credit card to get electronic goods, including Samsung printers and Apple keyboards, from e-commerce site Qoo10.
Gardi, 40, pleaded guilty last month to cheating and drug consumption charges. He was sentenced to nine years' jail and six strokes of the cane.
The court heard on Thursday that after Malani and Prakash were first arrested on Jan 12, 2017, they absconded and re-offended while on police bail. Malani used a passport belonging to another individual to check into a hotel while on the run.
The couple were arrested again almost five months later on May 30, when police officers seized two packets of methamphetamine from their hotel room. Malani admitted to having taken drugs since December 2007.
Asking for at least five years' imprisonment, DPP Cheng called Malani a "serial cheater who constantly expanded her criminal repertoire". She also noted that Malani had committed 38 of her offences — more than half of the 68 charges she faced — while on the run.
For cheating and dishonestly inducing the delivery of property, Malani could have been jailed up to 10 years and fined.
For consumption of a specified drug, she could have been jailed up to 10 years and/or fined S$20,000.
Read more at
https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/woman-jailed-5-years-cheating-s45000-victims-housebreaking
