Scams have been on the rise as of late in Singapore. From OCBC phishing to Singpass scams, many have been targeted and cheated out of hard-earned savings in unorthodox ways.
This case, however, seems to be one of the most unique scamming cases Singapore has seen this year.
27-year-old Jerald Low was caught forging a $1 trillion check and scamming victims on dating app Grindr, in addition to other offences.
Low has pleaded guilty to 17 criminal counts of cheating and obstruction of justice. As a result, he’s been sentenced to a jail term of 5 years and 7 months. He has also been charged with a $1,800 fine and a driving ban for 12 months.
On Wednesday (16 Mar), Low was brought to court as he faced 17 charges of criminal acts and obstruction of justice.
TODAY Online reports that Low scammed several men on gay dating application Grindr, devising a web of lies for 3 years and tricking victims into mobile line contracts.
According to one of the victims, Low had claimed that he would come through with the bill. When he failed to do so and the victim got suspicious, he hired a law firm to intimidate the victim.
In April 2018, Low allegedly forged a $1 trillion check in his mother’s name, which bounced because the account was closed. OCBC proceeded to file a police report due to the exorbitant amount.
Later in the year, Low also filed several cheques payable to himself through entities like the Central Provident Fund (CPF) and Housing and Development Board (HDB). All of the cheques bounced.
A woman diagnosed with bipolar disorder was apparently targeted by Low as well. In October 2018, Low tricked her into signing up for a shell company under his name and then married her. The victim is now hospitalised in the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) as a result of the ordeal.
Low was furthermore involved in a traffic incident in 2018. He used another driver’s particulars to register for an account with both Tribecar and BlueSG.
Low did not have a driver’s licence at the time and got himself involved in several traffic incidents, such as beating a red light. As a result of these violations, Low was served with a driving ban.
In May 2019, Low allegedly posed as a Korean man under the identity ‘Park Joon Hyung’. He issued cheques for $2.1 million with the intention of purchasing various properties. The cheques similarly bounced.
According to Channel NewsAsia (CNA), Low also lied to the police. He claimed that his boyfriend had been physically and sexually abusing him into committing the offences.
Low persuaded his boyfriend, 22-year-old Desmond Poon, to take the fall for the offences. He filed a total of 5 false police reports from Sep 2020 to Mar 2021.
In the reports, Low accused Poon of rape, physical abuse, and coercion into committing the offences.
Low finally admitted to the false reports in April 2021. However, he still claimed that Poon had coerced him into cheating victims.
On the same day, Poon also came clean about the false reports. He has been charged with obstruction of justice, and his case is still ongoing in court.
As a result of the numerous criminal offences and obstruction to justice, Low has been sentenced to 5 years and 7 months in jail.
He has also been fined a total of $1,800 and subjected to a driving ban of 12 months.
The scams that Low has committed are varied in a number of ways. His victims were put through a massive ordeal as a result of his actions, with lasting consequences.
His offences being brought to light, therefore, serves as a reminder for us to constantly stay vigilant. Whilst on dating apps or other similar online spaces, it is vital to always be wary of potential scammers.
Hopefully, the victims can have some peace of mind now that justice has been achieved.
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Featured image by MS News.
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