Police investigate after someone else spends S$400+ of family's SG60 vouchers
According to a report in Shin Min Daily News on Sunday (Jul 13), someone else had used more than S$400 of the SG60 vouchers belonging to the household of a certain Mr Li, which had received a total of S$800 in vouchers.
On Jul 2, the 64-year-old resident of Chinatown had claimed his vouchers at Kreta Ayer Community Club. To make it convenient for him, they were printed out by a staffer.
The problem with the vouchers first came up on Jul 5, when his wife attempted to use S$12 in merchant vouchers when she was making a payment. She was told that one of the vouchers worth S$10 had already been used.
The following day, Mr Li, who lives in Chinatown, attempted to use vouchers worth S$20 at a Sheng Siong grocery. To his surprise, he was informed that one of the vouchers he presented, also worth S$10, had already been used.
When he alerted the community club staff about the issue, they asked Mr Li if any of his other family members had used the vouchers. After finding out from his two sons that they had not, Mr Li proceeded to lodge a report at the Police Cantonment Complex on Jul 7.
An officer helped him access the transaction record of the vouchers via Mr Li's SingPass account. It showed that the person who used them began doing so on Jul 3, the day after they had been claimed.
He also found out that the person who had used their household's vouchers had spent S$417 by Jul 12. In contrast, he and his wife had spent just S$42.
Many of their vouchers were used in establishments such as a Jalan Kukoh medical hall, Old Airport Food Centre, and Redhill Food Centre—all of which are some distance from where Mr Li and his family live.
He said that his vouchers were used to buy food such as buns, fish ball noodles, economy rice, and nasi lemak.
Also, when the vouchers were used at a store in Chinatown, he asked if he could watch the camera footage from the store, in an attempt to find the person responsible for using their vouchers. He was told, however, that only the authorities can do so.
All this came as a complete surprise to Mr Li and his wife, who have never claimed nor shared their vouchers online.
The police confirmed with Shin Min Daily News that Mr Li had filed a police report and that they are looking into the matter. /TISG
Read also: Singaporeans swap tips on stretching their SG60 vouchers—from durian to dental treatments
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CNA
2 hours ago
- CNA
Commentary: Can Malaysia nudge ASEAN beyond non-interference to tackle the scam crisis in Myanmar?
SINGAPORE: ASEAN's traditional non-interference doctrine has posed an acute challenge for the regional body in responding to the 2021 coup in Myanmar. A Five-Point Consensus proposal has seen little progress, with a major obstacle that member states are prohibited from intervening in each other's internal affairs under the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia, a foundational pillar of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. This self-imposed reticence has led to accusations of ASEAN paralysis in the face of the ensuing civil war and series of humanitarian crises. But ASEAN has also struggled to address organised crime in Myanmar, which has proliferated with the breakdown of state authority and carries serious cross-border ramifications. Myanmar has become especially fertile ground for a multibillion-dollar scam and human trafficking industry, with detrimental knock-on effects for the regional economy. Online job opportunities first lure individuals with the promise of work, then force these victims into centres where they must seek to defraud others online under the threat of torture. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime has called Southeast Asia 'ground zero for the global scamming industry', with centres found in Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. But these centres are most prevalent in Myanmar, operating with impunity in territories contested by militias and warlords, outside the control of the junta or any formal state authority. NON-INTERFERENCE IN THE FACE OF CROSS-BORDER CRIME Malaysia, as the current chair of ASEAN, has proposed a more assertive, problem-solving posture on Myanmar. This includes engaging with the National Unity Government set up in opposition to military rule as well as the junta. This is challenging for ASEAN's non-interference but is also necessary to combat the scam challenge. Across East and Southeast Asia, the UN estimates that countries collectively suffered estimated loss of US$37 billion in 2023 from the scam cartels. The problem is spreading to tourism after a Chinese actor was kidnapped in Thailand and smuggled to Myanmar, resulting in a vast drop in daily Chinese visitor numbers. ASEAN's responses have included both bilateral efforts and regional initiatives: Indonesia, the Philippines and Thailand have mounted some rescue operations for trafficked nationals. A plan of action was also beefed up by the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Transnational Crime (AMMTC) and the ASEAN Senior Officials Meeting on Transnational Crime (SOMTC). But the next challenge is transforming these initiatives into a more sustained, coordinated regional strategy that addresses the scale and evolving nature of the threat. The cross-border nature of these scams demands a coordinated response. ASEAN's existing enforcement tools, while evolving, remain ill-equipped to respond swiftly to the complexities of transnational cybercrime. ASEAN's principle of non-interference stands at the core of these inadequacies as it takes away incentives for transparency, legal cooperation and the development of frameworks to facilitate joint investigation and prosecution. During the 2025 Langkawi Foreign Ministers' retreat under Malaysia's chairmanship, ASEAN members pledged enhanced cooperation on transnational crimes and online scams, even backing new working groups tackling these pressing problems. ASEAN still lacks the authority to act within Myanmar, but these initiatives signal an interesting move towards rights-based governance. COOPERATION NOT AS INTERFERENCE, BUT AS SOLIDARITY To make the work of the AMMTC and the SOMTC more effective in Myanmar, Malaysia can lead a pragmatic shift during its time as chair. First, it could advocate for broader ASEAN accession to the Budapest Convention on Cybercrime, which would significantly enhance regional and global enforcement capacity. The Budapest Convention is the most comprehensive and only legally binding instrument dealing with cybercrime and mutual assistance on evidence sharing between law enforcement agencies. Among ASEAN members, only the Philippines has ratified it. Next comes the United Nations Convention against Cybercrime, due to be ratified at the end of 2025. There are significant differences between the two treaties such as expedited cooperation in emergency situations and better disclosure on digital evidence. Having ASEAN members become parties to both conventions would allow law enforcement agencies to conduct more expedient human trafficking rescue operations from scam centres. It would also allow for better cooperation with authorities in non-ASEAN countries where the scam victims reside. A further step would be updating ASEAN's 2004 Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty. This instrument offers a foundation for cross-border cooperation, but it has not yet been formally updated to include cybercrime or digital evidence. Revision of the treaty could complement existing frameworks and improve legal interoperability in cybercrime enforcement. Malaysia should also propose expanding the mandate of the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights to include monitoring of scam-related abuses. A regional rapporteur on trafficking or a task force focused on cyber-exploitation could help focus on human security. Malaysia must frame humanitarian and security cooperation not as interference but as solidarity. This rhetorical shift is key to winning consensus among cautious ASEAN members to tackle the scam scourge as well as the current humanitarian crises in Myanmar.
Straits Times
3 hours ago
- Straits Times
‘Some cannot source outside China': S'pore firms' challenges and support needed amid US tariffs
Koda is a Singapore-listed furniture firm with operations in Malaysia, China and – most crucially – Vietnam. SINGAPORE – For the past three months, business owner Ernie Koh has been cycling through various scenarios in his head, pending finalisation of tariff rates for Vietnam. Mr Koh is director of Koda, a Singapore-listed furniture firm with operations in Malaysia, China and – most crucially – Vietnam, which struck a trade deal with the Trump administration on July 2. He has scenarios for both good and bad outcomes for Vietnam, and more 'what-ifs' that pit Vietnam against other markets that his competitors operate in, such as India, Malaysia and Indonesia. But the lack of detail on the tariffs and how other countries will be affected has created something of a Rubik's cube for firms trying to navigate these testing new waters. When US President Donald Trump declared sweeping global tariffs in April and warned countries not to sneak Chinese products into America through false declarations, Mr Koh asked his import shipping company to detail the amount of Chinese-sourced material in his products. 'It's only 6 per cent. Some of the fabric you cannot source anywhere outside of China,' he said, pointing out that there are four or five Singapore companies making furniture in Vietnam. The US is the biggest export market for Vietnam, and the biggest buyer of its furniture. The country has won a reduced 20 per cent tariff on its goods to the US, and 40 per cent on transshipped goods. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore HSA intensifies crackdown on vapes; young suspected Kpod peddlers nabbed in Bishan, Yishun Singapore Man charged over distributing nearly 3 tonnes of vapes in one day in Bishan, Ubi Avenue 3 Singapore Public healthcare institutions to record all Kpod cases, confiscate vapes: MOH, HSA Singapore Man allegedly attacks woman with knife at Kallang Wave Mall, to be charged with attempted murder Singapore Singapore boosts support for Timor-Leste as it prepares to join Asean Singapore UN aviation and maritime agencies pledge to collaborate to boost safety, tackle challenges Singapore High Court dismisses appeal of drink driver who killed one after treating Tampines road like racetrack Singapore 18 years' jail for woman who hacked adoptive father to death after tussle over Sengkang flat About 70 per cent of the finished products from Koda, which was set up in 1972, end up in US homes through stores such as Crate & Barrel, big-box retailers like Costco, and other brands it manufactures for. Mr Koh hopes the Singapore Government will turn its eye to businesses like his – Singapore-registered but operating overseas – that have traditionally been seen as successful and needing little support. The Singapore Economic Resilience Taskforce set up to help businesses ride out these challenges on July 10 announced the Business Adaptation Grant, which will disburse up to $100,000 to a firm on a co-funding basis. Koda, if deemed eligible, could expect help in areas like trade compliance advisory, contracts, supply chains and market diversification. It could also get a lift for costs in logistics and inventory holding. But the task force also noted that a bigger scoop of the pot will go to local small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which account for more jobs. Details are expected in October. The Association of Small and Medium Enterprises (ASME) and Singapore Business Federation have been ramping up support through advisory services, workshops with trade experts to evaluate cost and regulatory risks in alternative hubs like Indonesia and India, as well as trade missions and symposiums. Some of the assistance is to mitigate competition from Chinese businesses, which have turned their attention to markets outside the US to invest in and sell their goods. Local businesses have never been cornered like this until now, where trade pressures, technological disruption and intensifying competition from Johor arrive in a perfect storm, said ASME president Ang Yuit. The association has observed that companies are activating diversification plans in the wake of the tariff that the US is imposing on Vietnam goods. The immediate challenge is 'managing potential 20 to 40 per cent cost increases for US customers due to tariffs and transshipment classifications', it said in response to queries from The Straits Times. ASME added that it is accelerating its internationalisation support to help smaller firms look beyond Singapore, which includes aggregating SMEs into overseas projects. But Mr Ang sees a silver lining: With the US tariffs expected to last, he believes Chinese investors will turn less opportunistic and more earnest about local integration. Chinese firms that tap into only their home country's supply chain and hire Chinese-speaking managers will find that they have reached a ceiling if they do not open up, he added. 'Chinese and Singaporean firms will partner more deeply to navigate compliance, build mutual value, and jointly access wider markets, making the quality and integration of the investment more significant,' he said. Mr Ang hopes policymakers will take a comprehensive relook at a range of policies, ranging from trade and tax rules, to SME competitiveness and regional integration. Rather than providing direct offsets to tariff impacts, ASME believes that support should focus on enabling diversification and long-term capital investment. To address immediate needs, targeted tax policy adjustments like enhanced capital allowances or greater deductibility can ease cash flow for companies needing to reinvest or relocate, it said. In the longer term, ASME said Singapore must review economic policies such as tax rules to align with the structural reconfiguration of global trade. Koda's Mr Koh hopes the Government will share financing and export risks with Singapore businesses. 'Especially for a manufacturer, sometimes you've got to give (credit) terms to your customer, and sometimes also to your supplier,' he added. 'So you're double financing front-end and back-end, and then you are very tight on your cash. If one of the big guys go under, they may drag you down.' Mr Koh's hands would also be tied if he wants to move capacity from one high-tariff jurisdiction to a lower-tariff one: 'If I want to increase my capacity in Malaysia, I need capital, I need to expand my factory.' Export insurance rates are also being scrutinised as insurers turn cautious, he said. Dr Deborah Elms, who heads trade policy at the Hinrich Foundation in Singapore, said continuing threats and changes to tariff timelines have made it difficult for companies to plan. She said: 'Some have accelerated production to ship products to the US while tariffs are lower. Others have stopped or postponed production until they have greater clarity. 'But uncertainty has a cost as well, including a lack of investment for new capacity.' Business are having to figure out how they are being penalised in respect to other nations in the same market. Dr Elms said: 'For clothing and textiles, for example, what matters is not just the rate given to Vietnam, but also the rates for Bangladesh, Cambodia and China. 'Any tariff is a challenge for firms, but one that hits all imports equally or nearly equally is not as damaging as one that hits your producers the hardest with the highest rates.' In Mr Koh's case, his American customers are showing him products that were made in China and asking if his firm – a specialist in dining sets – could make them in Vietnam. That should be good news, except that these customers are also asking him to split the costs of the tariffs. 'All the customers say, 'Let's share the tariff 50-50'. If the tariff is 10 per cent, the only way for us to win back the 5 per cent is to generate efficiency in our factory to cover up that 5 per cent. But manufacturing margins are not very fat,' he said. 'So, business is good, but profit may be an issue.' His customers – the retailers and distributors – will take the savings from his Vietnam imports to help cover the smaller profits in high-tariff countries such as China. 'The customers take from Peter and give it to Paul,' he surmised. While waiting for clarity on where tariffs will land, the best bet for business owners is to keep their balance sheet strong and reserve their gunpowder for when times get better, said Mr Koh.
CNA
12 hours ago
- CNA
Man faces attempted murder charge over alleged knife attack at Kallang Wave Mall
SINGAPORE: A 26-year-old man will be charged on Tuesday (Jul 15) for the attempted murder of a 29-year-old woman at Kallang Wave Mall, police said. The Singapore Police Force (SPF) said in a news release that it was alerted to the incident at 1.25am on Monday, with preliminary investigations revealing that the man had allegedly attacked the woman with a knife. The man 'was disarmed and detained by members of the public before being arrested by police officers', said SPF. CNA understands that the man and the woman are not known to be connected. The woman was taken to hospital, where she received treatment for her injuries. She is in a stable condition, police added. Police said they will seek a court order to remand the man for psychiatric assessment. The offence of attempted murder where hurt is caused to any person by such act carries life imprisonment and caning, or imprisonment of up to 20 years and fine or caning, or both.
