Man allegedly cheats shopkeepers by pretending to be shortchanged
Shops in Tampines have been targeted by a man who would pay for a cheap item with a large-denomination note and then pretend to be shortchanged to get the shopkeepers to hand over more money.
The police said they received several reports of similar incidents from shops in Tampines between June and November in 2024.
A 43-year-old man, believed to have cheated shops of over $100, was arrested on Jan 9.
He paid for cheap items with a $100 note and would allegedly hide the $50 change before claiming that he did not receive the correct change.
Ms Huang, the 58-year-old owner of Good Luck Corner at Block 505 Tampines Central 1, told Shin Min Daily News that the man had gone to her gift shop first came in June.
He bought a $1 canned drink and paid with a $50 dollar note. He took the change and turned away but came back to say that the change was $10 short.
The cashier was unsure but since there were other customers, she didn’t argue and gave him the $10.
When the cashier checked the CCTV footage later, the man was seen pocketing a $10 note before going back to the cashier.
Ms Huang said the man returned to the shop in November and carried out the same trick.
A different cashier was on duty consulted a colleague before handing over the "missing" change but the colleague remembered the getting tricked months before.
The man fled when he saw the cashier he had duped in June.
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