Unfortunately, we live in a society where scammers are at large and actively seeking their next victim. While news outlets often highlight online scams, offline scams are also quite common – like this recent incident in Singapore.
Singaporean news outlets recently shared the story of Mr Long, a retiree who was approached by a possible scammer in public. According to Mr Long, the incident happened at the Westgate shopping mall in Jurong East on 19th December (Thursday) at around 4pm. The man reportedly approached the retiree, trying to sell his “OMEGA” watch to earn some cash after losing his money at a casino.
The stranger claimed to be from Taiwan and said he needed money to buy a plane ticket to return to his home country. He reportedly attempted to sell his watch for SGD1,500 (approximately RM4,983) to the 72-year-old. However, Mr Long was suspicious of the man because he couldn’t speak Hokkien, a dialect commonly spoken in Taiwan. In addition, the Singaporean said the “OMEGA” watch looked like a counterfeit item, so he declined the offer.
Unfortunately, the stranger was insistent and even lowered his asking price to SGD1,000 (approx. RM3,322). When Mr Long kept repeating that he had no money, the man continued reducing his asking price until finally asking for SGD10 (approx. RM33) for a meal. Mr Long didn’t give the man any money and instead suggested he use the watch as collateral for a ticket back to Taiwan. However, the man walked away, and Mr Long then reported the incident through the LifeSG application.
Following his experience, Mr Long warns the public of such individuals and urges people to be more vigilant of scammers. We’re glad the retiree was observant and didn’t fall victim to the scam. However, similar cases may happen in Malaysia, so please be alert when you’re in public.
Sources: Strait Times, China Press
