Policeman fined S$500 after conning Hougang noodle stall of S$36.50, transferred meal prices to himself

Singapore policeman fined for cheating noodle stall of S$36.50

A former policeman was fined after swindling a noodle stall in Hougang out of S$36.50 worth of meals.

25-year-old Siew Weng Chuin pretended to complete the payment via PayNow but changed the payee from the noodle stall’s bank account to his own.

He has since resigned from the Singapore Police Force and paid a fine of S$500.

Pretended to pay for meals at Hougang noodle stall

According to Channel NewsAsia (CNA), a court hearing on Thursday (9 May) revealed that Siew’s first cheating incident occurred on 14 April last year.

He informed the 26-year-old stall operator that he would settle his S$25.60 meal via PayNow.

For illustration purposes only

However, rather than transferring the funds to the stall’s account, Siew altered the payee details to direct the money to his personal bank account.

The stall operator was unaware she had been deceived as Siew showed her the completed transaction.

Stall operator could not find transaction record

On 17 April 2023, Siew returned to the store and placed an order for a meal worth S$10.90.

Once again, he attempted to deceive the stall operator.

This time, she questioned if Siew had made payment for his order three days earlier as she couldn’t find a transaction record in the stall’s bank account.

Siew feigned surprise and assured her that the payment had gone through by showing her his transaction history.

The stall operator then asked Siew for his contact as a precautionary measure.

She realised he had provided an inactive phone number when she could not reach him to inform him about the unsuccessful transaction.

It was then that she decided to file a police report on the matter.

Caught more than a month later

Over a month later on 31 May 2023, the stall operator spotted Siew and confronted him.

She then called the police, heeding their advice to do so when she lodged the report with them earlier.

In court, Siew pleaded guilty to one count of cheating, with another count taken into consideration for sentencing.

Court documents revealed that Siew, who is no longer with the Singapore Police Force, made full restitution to the victim on 18 April this year.

He has also paid the S$500 fine.

Also read: Helper Sets Up Elderly Employer’s PayNow On Own Phone & Siphons S$6,600, Jailed 5 Months

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Featured image by TheSmartLocal, for illustration purposes only.