Making deals with strangers online isn’t advisable, mainly because of the risk of scams.
However, even meeting up in person might be dangerous if you’re carrying around large sums of money.
A man who met a 16-year-old boy in Punggol for a deal almost ended up being robbed of S$81,000 when the other party allegedly grabbed the cash and ran.
Source: Singapore Police Force
The teenager was eventually arrested along with two other men.
In a news release on Sunday (19 Nov), the Singapore Police Force (SPF) said the victim is a 33-year-old man.
A stranger on Telegram contacted him and offered to trade crypto tokens for cash.
This apparently was too good to resist, as the man agreed and was told to meet a 16-year-old boy somewhere along Punggol Field on Saturday (18 Nov).
Source: Google Maps
There, he was to hand him S$81,000 in cash, in exchange for the crypto tokens.
Things didn’t go to plan, however — at least on the man’s part.
While the teenager was counting the cash, he allegedly grabbed the bag which held the money and ran off.
He was pursued by the victim, who managed to stop him.
Horrifyingly, the teenager then allegedly pulled out a kitchen knife.
Source: Singapore Police Force
However, he ended up somehow dropping it.
Eventually, the teenager was subdued with the help of two men and one woman.
The police were called, and he was arrested.
The man recovered his cash in full.
That wasn’t the end of the case, though.
Two other men believed to be involved in the case were identified via extensive ground enquiries and images from police cameras.
One of them, aged 33, was arrested around Circuit Road on the same day.
The other man, 27, was also arrested along Ang Mo Kio Avenue 9 on 18 Nov.
The 33-year-old and teenager will be charged in court on Monday (20 Nov).
They are accused of conspiracy to commit robbery under Section 392 and Section 109 of the Penal Code.
The 27-year-old man is still under police investigation.
In light of this case, the police advised members of the public not to carry large amounts of cash around in public.
If they are involved in a robbery, they should remain calm and observe the physical appearance and distinctive features of the alleged culprit, they said.
They should then call the police as soon as possible.
Also read: 15-Year-Old Boy Allegedly Threatens Victim With Knife In Tampines, Arrested For Armed Robbery
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Featured images adapted from Singapore Police Force.
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