Police have arrested a 31 year-old man who is believed to be involved in at least 10 cases of cheating island-wide involving youth victims.

Since June 2010, Police have received several reports of cheating where the victims, mostly local male youths aged between 12 and 17 years old, were targeted for their mobile phones. In all the cases, the suspect would approach the victims offering them various job opportunities. He would then bring the victims to different locations on the pretext of assigning tasks to them before asking the victims to hand over their mobile phones giving reasons such as taking down the IMEI numbers, recording the victims’ personal particulars or for safekeeping. The suspect will then leave with the mobile phone(s) and not return.

Through extensive follow-up investigations and intensive enquiries, officers from Clementi Police Division managed to establish the identity of the suspect. However, the suspect was elusive as he had no fixed place of abode. The breakthrough came on 19 July 2010 at about 11.30 am when the officers managed to trace the suspect to a condominium in the Choa Chua Kang area and he was subsequently placed under arrest.

The suspect will be charged in Court on 21 July 2010 for the offence of Cheating under Section 420 of the Penal Code which carries a maximum jail term of 10 years imprisonment and also a fine.

Commander of Clementi Police Division, Deputy Assistant Commissioner of Police Melvin Yong commended his officers for their perseverance and excellent teamwork resulting in the successful arrest of the suspect.

Members of the public are advised to note the following crime prevention measures:

i) Do not accept job offers made by strangers;

ii) Never hand over your handphone or valuables to someone you just met;

iii) Be wary of get-rich-quick deals or irresistible job offers. If an offer sounds too good to be true, it is probably a scam; and

iv) Where possible, provide Police with details such as your handphone IMEI number if it was taken during the commission of a crime. You can take note of your handphone's IMEI number by pressing *#06# on the keypad.