Police have arrested three Mexicans nationals - two men and one woman - aged between 32 to 37 years old on 22 June 2010 in connection with 3 cases of attempted theft/theft using the ‘drop money’ scam.
In these cases, the lone victims whom were targeted had withdrawn large sums of money from the bank before returning to their vehicle. Before they drove off, the culprits would approach the victims to deceive them into leaving their vehicles momentarily on the pretext of informing them that they had dropped a stack of cash outside the vehicle. While the victim was distracted, one of the culprits would then take the opportunity to steal the victim's cash from the vehicle. In one of the cases, the culprits managed to successfully steal cash totaling about $20,000 from the victim’s vehicle after the victim left his vehicle unsecured to pick up the scattered notes. (Note: This case was also reported in the media on 7 and 8 June 2010 .)
Following the reports, officers from the Bedok Police Division and the Central Police Division sprung into action to track down the suspects. In a joint effort by officers from the two Divisions, the suspects were arrested in the vicinity of East Point Shopping Centre yesterday at about 11.15am .
All three suspects will be charged in court on 24 Jun 2010 for the offence of Theft with Common Intention under Section 379 of the Penal Code, Chapter 224. If convicted for the offence, the offender can be punished with imprisonment for up to 3 years, or with fine or with both.
Commander of Bedok Police Division, Deputy Assistant Commissioner Teo Chun Ching and Commander of Central Police Division, Deputy Assistant Commissioner Tan Hung Hooi commended the officers for their efforts in tracking down the suspects.
Members of the public are advised to be aware of and vigilant against such scams; and to adopt the following crime prevention measures:
| a) |
Be aware of stranger(s) loitering around the ATM before or when drawing money; |
| b) |
If you intend to withdraw a large sum of money, ask someone you know to accompany you; |
| c) |
Avoid exposing your cash and conceal your notes quickly once the ATM dispenses the money; |
| d) |
Secure your vehicle doors and windows when it is left unattended, even if it is only for a short while; |
| e) |
If you need to transport valuables or large sum of money, avoid leaving them on the passenger’s seat or at the dashboard. Make sure they are locked inside the glove compartment; and |
| f) |
Be aware of distraction techniques employed by potential criminals. |
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