Auntie hides rice cooker behind bag & umbrella before leaving Ang Mo Kio store
An electrical appliance store in Ang Mo Kio has made a police report after an auntie took a S$49 rice cooker without paying for it.
Her actions were reportedly caught on CCTV, the store’s owner told Shin Min Daily News.
Source: Shin Min Daily News
4 employees in Ang Mo Kio store during incident
The incident took place at about 7pm on 6 May at the store in Block 728 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 6.
Its lady boss Lin Yaxuan (transliterated from Mandarin), 75, said there were four employees working at the time.
But as they have products like fans and kettles placed on the walkway, her employees usually move around outside the store as well.
Source: Google Maps
Auntie visits Ang Mo Kio store for 10 minutes, rice cooker goes missing later
That evening, an auntie carrying a handbag and umbrella visited the store and stayed for about 10 minutes, Mdm Lin said.
When employees asked her more than once if she needed help, she replied that she was “just looking”.
She left after wandering about between the shelves.
But a few days later, Mdm Lin was doing restocking when she realised that a rice cooker worth S$49 was missing from a shelf, though its packaging box was still there.
Auntie leaves store with rice cooker behind bag & umbrella
Mdm Lin checked her CCTV and saw that the auntie appeared to have taken the rice cooker.
According to the footage posted on Instagram by citizen journalism site STOMP, she was at the store at 7.01pm, holding just a brown handbag and an umbrella on her left arm, as well as a small black bag around her neck.
Source: @stompsingapore on Instagram
She lingered for a while as a staff member walked past her more than once. At one point, the auntie was even standing in the same aisle next to the staff member.
After the coast becomes clear, the auntie is seen looking around quickly, then emerging from the aisle.
She carried an extra item with her — a white object, identified as the rice cooker. It is blocked from the staff’s view by her handbag and umbrella.
Source: @stompsingapore on Instagram
The auntie then leaves the store, past a sign that warns of CCTV on the premises.
Source: @stompsingapore on Instagram
Store makes police report
Mdm Lin said she made a police report, but hoped that the auntie would return to pay for the rice cooker.
If she has financial difficulties, they can sell it to her at a cheaper price, she added. They just want to get back the cost of the item.
The police confirmed that a police report was made, and investigations are ongoing.
Store hit by a number of thefts in recent years
Mdm Lin said that she is now more vigilant and has tied some of her goods together to prevent them from being stolen.
Incidents of theft have become more frequent recently, added the lady boss, who has operated the business for more than 40 years.
Last year, she saw two incidents, with items such as a DVD player being stolen.
There have also been two incidents this year. Besides the rice cooker, a kettle worth over S$20 was stolen from outside the store by a man in a wheelchair, she said.
She did not call the police at the time as she thought that he might have needed it.
Someone had also stolen a fan placed outside the store, leading her to tie the fans together, she added.
Also read: Auntie takes woman’s phone at VivoCity eatery, CCTV captures her face in full HD
Auntie takes woman’s phone at VivoCity eatery, CCTV captures her face in full HD
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Featured image adapted from Shin Min Daily News.
