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Straits Times
2 days ago
- Straits Times
Sheng Siong suspended PayNow withdrawals from teller machines over money laundering concerns
The scheme was discovered after Sheng Siong noticed large cash withdrawals being made simultaneously from multiple $TMs across Singapore by the same PayNow account. PHOTO: SHIN MIN DAILY NEWS SINGAPORE - A new money laundering scheme caused Sheng Siong to temporarily suspend PayNow cash withdrawals from its Simple Teller Machines ($TMs) recently . The withdrawal service allows users to scan a PayNow QR code at the machines to withdraw cash of up to $1,000 per transaction. But since early June, criminals appear to have been abusing the service to launder illicit funds, causing the supermarket chain to temporarily suspend the service from June 19. It was only restored on June 23. The scheme was discovered after Sheng Siong noticed large cash withdrawals being made simultaneously from multiple $TMs across Singapore by the same PayNow account on June 18. When the same account was used to withdraw more cash on June 19, Sheng Siong staff detained the persons who had taken the cash and called the police. Four males, aged 16 to 23, were charged on June 21 in relation to the scheme. They are believed to have responded to 'fast cash job' advertisements on Telegram. The supposed job required them to go to the $TMs and use it to generate PayNow QR codes, which they took photos of and sent back to the Telegram group. Shortly after, the machine would dispense the cash, which they were to take and hand over to another person. It is believed criminals in the Telegram group were using compromised bank accounts to make the PayNow payments remotely via the photos of the QR codes. On June 26, the police took two of the accused persons back to $TMs in Sengkang and Tampines. Muhammad Noraidilsahiq Muhammad Norasif, 20, allegedly withdrew $8,000 from the machine on June 19 at the Sheng Siong outlet at Sengkang West Avenue, which he was taken back to for investigations. Muhammad Noraidilsahiq Muhammad Norasif allegedly withdrew $8,000 from the machine on June 19 at the Sheng Siong outlet at Sengkang West Avenue. PHOTO: SHIN MIN DAILY NEWS He faces one charge under the Penal Code for receiving the stolen property. Muhammad Izz Iryan Mod Ali, 23, was allegedly found with $20,300 that were benefits of criminal conduct. He was taken to the $TM at the Sheng Siong outlet at Tampines Street 86 and faces one charge under the Corruption, Drug Trafficking and Other Serious Crimes (Confiscation of Benefits) Act. Muhammad Izz Iryan Mod Ali was allegedly found with $20,300 that were benefits of criminal conduct. PHOTO: SHIN MIN DAILY NEWS His 18-year-old brother, Muhammad Izz Irshad Mod Ali, is also one of the accused persons. He allegedly took $4,000 of cash from the $TM at the Sheng Siong outlet at Jurong West Street 42 between June 9 and June 13. He faces one charge under the Penal Code for receiving the stolen property. The fourth person charged is a 16-year-old who allegedly took $19,500 from the $TM at the Sheng Siong outlet at Serangoon North Avenue 5 on June 18 and 19. He also faces one charge under the Penal Code for receiving the stolen property. All four have been remanded and their cases are expected to be heard again on June 27. Sheng Siong's customer and operations director, Mr Lin Zikai, told the media on June 26 that Sheng Siong had noticed the abnormal withdrawals on June 18 and suspended the service on June 19. The service was only restored on June 23 after it implemented an additional safeguard limiting the maximum number of transactions per PayNow account to five. There are more than 60 $TMs islandwide at Sheng Siong outlets. The withdrawal service allows users to scan a PayNow QR code at the machines to withdraw cash of up to $1,000 per transaction. PHOTO: SHIN MIN DAILY NEWS Mr Lin said before this, users could make cash withdrawals of up to $1,000 per transaction, but the number of transactions was limited only by the PayNow account's limit. While the default daily limit for PayNow transactions is $1,000, users were able to change it to a maximum of $200,000. This meant they could make up to 200 transactions of $1,000 each daily . With the new safeguard, the maximum withdrawal from a single PayNow account is now capped at $5,000. Mr Lin said: 'This case was actually detected by our Sheng Siong HQ office. They realised there were multiple transactions from the same (PayNow) user at different outlets at the same time. 'That's when we contacted the bank and made a police report.' Those convicted of receiving stolen property can be jailed for up to five years and fined. Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.

Straits Times
3 days ago
- Straits Times
Married couple cheated wife's boyfriend of $220k; husband thought victim was her ‘friend'
Felicia Tay Bee Ling and Eric Ong Chee Wei worked together to spin a tale of discounted property deals to dupe Mr David Tan. ST PHOTO: KELVIN CHNG Married couple cheated wife's boyfriend of $220k; husband thought victim was her 'friend' SINGAPORE – A married couple cheated the wife's 'friend' of $220,000 by luring him into a fake property investment scheme – without the husband knowing that she was having an affair with the victim. Felicia Tay Bee Ling and Eric Ong Chee Wei worked together to spin a tale of discounted property deals to dupe Mr David Tan, who had never met Ong but knew that he was Tay's spouse at the time. On June 24 , Tay, 49, and Ong, 50, pleaded guilty to a cheating charge each. Ong has since made a restitution of $10,000 to Mr Tan, 48. Court documents did not disclose if Tay and Ong are still married to each other. Deputy Public Prosecutor Kiera Yu told the court that Tay was a housewife while Ong worked as a property agent from 1999 to 2006 before turning to odd jobs. Tay met Mr Tan in 2010, and they had an affair from 2014 to 2017. Around September 2015, Ong conspired with Tay to deceive Mr Tan. They agreed that Tay would tell him that there were opportunities for him to invest in condominium units, which he could sell later for significant profits. Their intention was to dupe Mr Tan into paying supposed 'security deposits' for the units , said the prosecutor. In reality, the two offenders knew that there were no such units for sale. Acting on Ong's instructions, Tay told Mr Tan that she had 'investment opportunities' involving the purchase of condominium units at Residences @ Emerald Hill. Tay claimed that due to the 'poor property market', developers were willing to offload unsold properties at discounted rates to agents. She also claimed that Ong was one such agent as he used to work in the property industry. Eric Ong Chee Wei pleaded guilty to a cheating charge on June 24. PHOTO: SHIN MIN DAILY NEWS Tay told Mr Tan that she could help him purchase seven units directly from the developer of the condominium at a discounted rate. She also claimed that the units could be resold at higher prices and promised Mr Tan that each investment would purportedly yield high returns within three months. In reality, six of the units that he was supposedly buying did not exist at all. DPP Yu said that for the remaining unit, Ong and Tay knew that they had no basis to offer it as an 'investment' to Mr Tan as it was not available for sale. She added: 'Felicia also told David not to tell any 'outsiders' about these investment opportunities, as they were 'exclusive offers'.' Tay also sent handwritten records of the 'investments' to him, said the prosecutor. ' However, no official documents on the sale and purchase of the units were ever provided.' Ong gave Tay hard copies of option-to-purchase (OTP) forms purportedly issued through a salesperson under real estate company Orange Tee . Ong got to know the salesperson when he was still working as a property agent. Court documents stated that the salesperson was unaware that Ong had used these OTP forms issued in the salesperson's name to commit cheating. Tay filled up an OTP form for each of the seven units and sent screenshots of these fake documents to Mr Tan over WhatsApp. He then handed to Tay $220,000 in total as 'security deposits' over seven occasions from September to November 2015. Tay also promised Mr Tan that he would purportedly receive profits of more than $1.7 million when the units were sold. DPP Yu said: ' He had immense trust for Felicia because they were in a relationship, and he was under the impression that (Ong) worked in the property industry.' But around January 2016, Mr Tan sensed that something was amiss when he received no investment retur ns. He confronted Tay about the matter, but she did not give him any concrete answers. To appease him, she prepared an 'IOU document' with information from Ong, who also signed it. This document dated Jan 8, 2016 was created to convince Mr Tan that Ong would supposedly pay the money owed to him, providing the victim with a false sense of security. In March 2017, Mr Tan and Tay broke up. The victim finally reached out to OrangeTee on Dec 11, 2019 and the company told him that none of the transactions listed on the OTP forms were legitimate. Mr Tan made a police report the next day and officers arrested the two offenders in June 2022 Ong and Tay will be sentenced in July. Shaffiq Alkhatib is The Straits Times' court correspondent, covering mainly criminal cases heard at the State Courts. Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.


New Paper
19-06-2025
- Health
- New Paper
Man claims buffet serves wrong type of prawns, triggering allergic rash
A man who thought he was eating tiger prawns at a self-service hotpot buffet ended up with an allergic rash and a $120 medical bill. Mr Chen, a 48-year-old safety management specialist, told Shin Min Daily News that he was celebrating Father's Day with his family at Jianghu Buffet in Pasir Ris Mall on June 15 when he scanned the QR code and spotted "tiger prawns" on the menu. He ordered generously. "I've been allergic to regular prawns since I was in my 20s," he said. "I get rashes. But a friend once told me tiger prawns are different and might not trigger the same reaction. I tested it out a few times and was fine - so now I eat only tiger prawns." On June 15, Mr Chen ate between 20 and 30 prawns before realising something was wrong. "My face and head started feeling hot. Then I developed a fever, and itching and rashes across my face and body," he said. "That's when I asked the staff if they were sure they'd served tiger prawns and explained that a severe allergic reaction could be life-threatening." The store manager insisted that they had, saying the restaurant's boss "wouldn't joke about his own signboard". Mr Chen and his family went to Jianghu Buffet for lunch to celebrate Father's Day. PHOTO: SHIN MIN DAILY NEWS Mr Chen rushed to the mall pharmacy for antihistamines, then returned to the restaurant. The manager urged him to see a doctor. After an injection and medication at a nearby clinic, his symptoms subsided two hours later. He later shared his experience online, prompting a wave of sceptical responses, with some questioning how it was possible to be allergic to only certain types of prawn. "I usually get swollen lips from regular prawns, but not this time. That's why I didn't worry," he said. "People with similar allergies will understand. Some reactions can be more severe than mine. I just wanted to warn others." Dermatologist Eileen Tan from Mount Elizabeth Novena Hospital said it is possible to be allergic to only specific species of prawns. While the common allergen is a protein called tropomyosin, different species have slightly different protein structures. "Some people are allergic to all crustaceans, others only to certain types. Symptoms can range from hives to life-threatening reactions," she said, advising anyone with a history of allergies to carry antihistamines and avoid unknown foods. Dr Tan also said that if a reaction occurs, medical treatment should be sought immediately, especially if the allergy is severe. Mr Chen said the restaurant manager initially offered to pay for the medical bill and encouraged him to visit a clinic. But when he returned with the $120 receipt, he was told to first provide proof that he was allergic to only regular prawns. "I was disappointed. Later, the manager apologised and offered to cover half, but I declined. I'm not doing this for compensation. I just don't want others to go through the same thing." He also noticed that the menu item, originally labelled "tiger prawns", had been changed to "fresh prawns". When contacted, Jianghu Buffet said it took the incident seriously and had refunded the cost of the meal as a gesture of goodwill. The spokesperson said staff had recorded that Mr Chen ordered 15 plates of prawns and started to feel unwell during the meal. "We asked if he could have simply overeaten, and recommended he seek treatment," the spokesperson said. "But the customer chose to finish the meal with his 12 dining companions first." The restaurant said it had filed a liability insurance claim and provided Mr Chen's information to the insurer. He was also told he could contact the insurer directly. "We believe the refund showed sincerity and basic respect for the customer's discomfort," the spokesperson said. However, they expressed regret that the customer continued to post "one-sided" accounts online. The restaurant, which has operated in Singapore for seven years, said it takes food quality seriously, and ingredients are supplied by regulated vendors daily. It reminded diners with dietary concerns to inform staff in advance.


New Paper
18-06-2025
- Health
- New Paper
Like living with a 'time bomb': Desperate parents report own son for vaping
A middle-aged couple has reported their 18-year-old son to the authorities twice, desperate to curb what they describe as his worsening addiction to e-cigarettes. They say the teenager's behaviour changed drastically after he started vaping last year due to bad influences. After their son began vaping, she noticed worrying signs: "He was walking unsteadily, falling over, his hands started to shake, and his face turned dark. His memory became poor, and he was always irritable." Once a polite, well-behaved boy, he now slammed doors during arguments and ignored their pleas to stop. His mother, who spoke to Shin Min Daily News, said he told her he was under pressure and used vapes to relax. "But vaping is harmful to the body. How can we just watch him destroy himself? Every time we try to talk to him about it, we end up in a fight." The couple eventually called the authorities. Officers confiscated the e-cigarettes and the family paid two fines totalling $600. But he soon resumed the habit, ordering new ones through Telegram. His father said the products were delivered straight to their HDB block within a day. The mother also took him for counselling and sought advice from a drug rehabilitation centre. But nothing worked. "I'm willing to do anything to help my son. I've done everything I can think of, but it's no use. I hope someone out there can help us," she said. She broke down in tears during the interview. "Over the past year, our family has been living in fear. Our son is like a time bomb. We haven't had a good night's sleep." Family members advised her to take a tougher stance or even walk away, but she couldn't bring herself to do so. His father said the boy often grew angry and stormed out of the house when confronted. "He doesn't come home until late. If he doesn't want to change, there's only so much we can do." What frustrates the couple most is how easy it is for teenagers to buy e-cigarettes. "We see reports of raids, but online sellers are still thriving. These devices are everywhere," said the father. "Young people are still growing. Long-term vaping can seriously affect their health. Hopefully the authorities will crack down on these online groups." E-cigarettes are banned in Singapore. PHOTO: SHIN MIN DAILY NEWS According to the Health Promotion Board, e-cigarettes contain harmful chemicals, including nicotine, that can damage the lungs, brain and heart. The public can get help through HPB's iQuit programme, which offers counselling, quit plans and motivational support. Parents are encouraged to show empathy rather than scold their children, and to seek help early. As for this family, they are still clinging to hope. "He is my son," said the mother. "If even his own mother gives up on him… I'm afraid he'll spiral even more."


New Paper
11-06-2025
- Business
- New Paper
Maids set up illegal side hustle outside mall, draws ire from nearby business owners
To make some extra cash on their rest day, a number of Indonesian maids gathered to set up a small food market outside City Plaza in Paya Lebar, despite knowing it is illegal. "Many maids gather for a few hours, and some of them sell food and beverages, so the others will not come to patronise us," said a nearby shop owner. Every weekend, the group of Indonesian maids seize the opportunity for a side hustle by selling food such as chicken rice, fruits and drinks outside the mall. Shin Min Daily News reported that a group of women carried reusable bags containing food items while walking around the area. Business was decent, as occasionally, people would pay to buy the food. Another group with a different strategy was also spotted nearby. Rather than approaching the public, these women placed their offerings in the open space for passers-by to choose from. Some maids placed their foods in the open. PHOTO: SHIN MIN DAILY NEWS When offered a $3 cup of lemon tea by a vendor, the reporter attempted to ask about her business. However, the woman was unwilling to respond and quickly packed the food before leaving. A maid who wished to remain anonymous told the Chinese daily that she was from Indonesia and knew touting was illegal. Every fortnight, she would sell food she and her friends prepared. However, she admitted that her employer was not aware of her business. Maids would gather outside the mall on their rest day, and some would come prepared with food for sale. PHOTO: SHIN MIN DAILY NEWS A chicken rice stall owner said that even though the maids' food prices were slightly higher, people still bought from them. "Our business was affected by about 20 per cent." The Singapore Food Agency told Shin Min Daily News that the authorities had begun investigating the case and will take action against food vendors without a licence. Under the Environmental Public Health Act 1987, a person must not hawk for sale any food or goods in a public place without first obtaining a licence. A spokesperson said that unregulated street food hawking not only poses environmental problems, but also may pose risks to public health. Illegally sold food may be unsafe for consumption as it does not meet the safety requirements of SFA. SFA will take appropriate action against illegal hawkers, and those with financial difficulties will be referred to social service agencies for assistance. The public can report the unlicensed sale of food on