SINGAPORE: Two more men who were allegedly linked to a scam involving fake gold bars were each handed a cheating charge on July 17.
Shah Faeez Shahrom and Daniel Lim Chin Teck, both 25, are accused of committing the offence with Wilderic Chan Weibin, 22, who was charged on July 16.
Chan faces two charges – one count each of cheating and being in possession of a weapon in a public place.
The three Singaporeans were at a Serangoon Central multi-storey carpark at around 10.30pm on July 10 when they allegedly duped a man into believing they were selling him a 100g gold bar worth $9,800.
The man then allegedly paid for what he thought was a gold bar.
On July 16, the police said they foiled a scam in which victims handed over around $20,000 in cash and a watch worth some $35,000 in exchange for what they assumed were gold bars.
At least one of the bars turned out to be fake, said the police. A victim, who they did not name, found out the truth after trying to authenticate the “gold bar” at a goldsmith shop.
Court documents did not disclose if this was the same person allegedly involved in the Serangoon Central incident.
In their statement, the police said that between July 11 and 14, officers received at least three reports from victims who had bought gold bars from online marketplace Carousell, only to discover later that they had been scammed.
Three men were arrested on July 15 and officers seized items including at least $3,800 in cash and several documents. The police did not name the trio.
Separately, Chan was in a lock-up at the Police Cantonment Complex at around 3.45am on July 15 when he allegedly had in his possession a karambit knife, which has a curved blade resembling a claw.
Chan’s case has been adjourned to July 23.
The cases involving Shah and Lim will be mentioned again in court the day after.
For each count of cheating, an offender can be jailed for up to 10 years and fined.
For being in possession of a weapon in public, an offender can be jailed for up to three years and receive at least six strokes of the cane. - The Straits Times/ANN
