Man jailed 46 months for running fake donation scam for over four years, swindling thousands of people
A 42-year-old man who swindled more than 12,600 people through a long-running fake donation scam has been jailed for 46 months.
Lim Kah Kheng was sentenced on 17 Nov for four counts of cheating, according to a joint statement by the Office of the Commissioner of Charities and the Singapore Police Force (SPF).
Source: Google Maps
Man posed as charity worker & recruited others under false pretences
The scam came to light after police received a report on 24 June 2024 of a man going door-to-door along Bedok North Street 3 asking for donations.
Investigations revealed that Lim had been running the operation since 28 Jan 2020.
He pretended to be doing charitable work and even recruited seven individuals, deceiving them into believing they were performing legitimate fundraising duties.
To bolster the ruse, he created fake staff passes and fraudulent documents.
The scam targeted residents across various neighbourhoods, tricking thousands of victims and collecting more than S$106,000 in bogus donations.
SPF officers arrested Lim on the same day the report was lodged.
Jailed 46 months, more charges taken into consideration
Lim received 46 months’ jail for four counts of cheating under Section 420 of the Penal Code 1871.
Eight additional cheating charges and three theft-in-dwelling charges were considered during sentencing.
Those convicted under Section 420 of the Penal Code can face up to 10 years’ imprisonment and a fine.
The SPF urged the public to always verify the legitimacy of fundraising activities before donating.
Also read: S’pore ranked 3rd most generous country in 2023, 68% of people donated money to charity
S’pore ranked 3rd most generous country in 2023, 68% of people donated money to charity
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