Jail for woman who extorted man after they exchanged sexual texts
Student-care teacher Savanna Goh was sentenced to two years and six months' jail on Aug 14.
SINGAPORE – A student-care teacher at a tuition centre exchanged sexual text messages with a man she met on an online dating platform, but then proceeded to extort him of $700.
Savanna Goh told the victim, a 23-year-old full-time national serviceman (NSF), that her uncle was working for the Singapore Police Force (SPF) and that she would alert him about the 'uncomfortable' messages she had received if the NSF failed to hand her the amount.
The victim, identified in court documents as V1, complied out of fear. However, this 'uncle' did not exist.
The 24-year-old Singaporean woman was sentenced to two years and six months' jail on Aug 14 after she pleaded guilty to one count each of extortion, cheating and misusing a computer system.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Sean Teh said: 'During investigations, the accused admitted that she came up with the idea to extort and cheat money from V1 on her own as she found him to be an easy target that would succumb to her threats easily.'
The prosecutor told the court that V1 got to know Goh in April 2023, and she claimed to be a pre-school teacher.
The pair later communicated with text messages and phone calls.
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During these conversations, they talked about sexual topics and flirted with each other.
They also talked about meeting in person so that they could engage in sexual activities.
In May 2023, Goh lied to V1, claiming that she needed money to pay hospital bills. She also told him that they could meet in person in return.
Believing the offender, he transferred $430 to her on May 13 that year.
The next day, Goh asked him for more money, and he transferred another $600.
But after he did so, she told him that she was 'uncomfortable' with his text messages and threatened to tell her 'SPF uncle' about them.
A fearful V1 then transferred $700 to Goh on May 16, 2023.
However, she continued to threaten him and stated that he had to pay her $5,000 in compensation.
She also said that if her demands were not met, she would inform the police about the messages so they wo uld press charges against him.
DPP Teh said: 'The accused eventually told V1 that she would settle the matter for $2,500. V1 told her that he did not have the money to pay her.
'The accused threatened V1 that he could either compensate her privately or face up to a $100,000 fine or imprisonment following criminal prosecution... He later stopped responding after the accused demanded $500.'
On June 1, 2023, Goh texted V1, claiming that she had some money to repay him.
However, she also asked him for another $1,000 to purportedly activate her bank account.
When V1 questioned her, she replied that he needed to transfer to her $950 instead.
He complied and contacted his bank about the matter shortly after 11am that day. He was then advised to lodge a police report.
He blocked Goh on messaging platform Telegram two days later, and she reached out to him on WhatsApp asking him to unblock her.
When he refused, she created a fake Telegram account and pretended to be a police officer. She then used the account to reach out to V1.
Among other things, Goh told him: 'I need you to do whatever she (asked) you to do, because this is a very serious offence and you can be charged and... imprisoned if you are reported.
'Please unblock her from WhatsApp and from phone calls. If not, I'll take serious action towards you.'
V1 apologised to the 'police officer' and alerted the authorities at around 11.30am on June 3, 2023.
In an unrelated case in September 2022, Goh saw a Telegram post by one ' Ange Emily' involving the purchase of bank accounts.
Wanting to earn some cash, she sent Ange Emily a text message and decided to sell her bank account after she was promised $1,600 for it.
Goh also shared with the unknown person her internet banking information.
In the end, Ange Emily did not hand Goh any money, and instead blocked her on Telegram.
Goh's bail has been set at $15,000, and she is expected to begin serving her sentence on Aug 18.
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