Man arrested for allegedly cheating friend of at least $186,000

The man is set to be charged in court on Oct 23 with cheating.

ST PHOTO: KELVIN CHNG

Published Oct 22, 2026, 10:35 PM

Updated Oct 22, 2026, 10:35 PM

A 43-year-old man was arrested in Singapore on Oct 21 after allegedly cheating his 69-year-old friend of at least $186,000.

Police said the victim had lost money in a cryptocurrency scam, and the man allegedly asked for payments over 15 months for “legal fees”, “witness protection fees” and other charges.

He will be charged on Oct 23. If found guilty, he could face up to 10 years’ jail and a fine. Police warned people to check upfront fees and report scams quickly.

SINGAPORE – A 43-year-old man was arrested on Oct 21 after he allegedly cheated an older man, who was his friend, of at least $186,000.

In a statement on Oct 22, the police said they received a report on Sept 27 that a 69-year-old man had made payments to the younger man on the pretext of recovering his scam losses.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the older man had suffered losses in a cryptocurrency scam and first confided in the man, who was a friend, about it.

Over 15 months, the man allegedly requested multiple transfers from the victim for purported legal fees, witness protection fees and other administrative fees.

He was also believed to have sought further payments on the pretext that the matter could be heard in overseas courts, the police said.

Officers managed to establish the identity of the man through ground inquiries and follow-up investigations before arresting him.

If found guilty, he could face up to 10 years’ jail and a fine.

The police reminded members of the public to exercise caution when dealing with persons who claim to be able to recover money lost to scams or other fraudulent schemes in exchange for payments or fees.

Upfront payments should be verified, especially when these are said to be re quired for legal, administrative or processing purposes, the police said.

“If you suspect that you have fallen victim to a scam, contact your bank immediately to report, block any fraudulent transactions, and lodge a police report,” they added.

该男子将于10月23日出庭受审，被控犯有欺诈罪。

《海峡时报》摄影：KELVIN CHNG

发布于 2026 年 10 月 22 日晚上 10:35

更新于2026年10月22日晚上10:35

10月21日，一名43岁男子在新加坡被捕，据称他诈骗了69岁的朋友至少18.6万美元。

警方称，受害者在加密货币诈骗中蒙受了损失，该男子据称要求受害者在 15 个月内支付“法律费用”、“证人保护费”和其他费用。

他将于10月23日被正式起诉。如果罪名成立，他可能面临最高10年监禁和罚款。警方提醒民众注意预付费用，并及时举报诈骗行为。

新加坡——一名43岁男子于10月21日被捕，据称他诈骗了一位年长的朋友至少18.6万美元。

警方在 10 月 22 日的一份声明中表示，他们于 9 月 27 日接到报案，称一名 69 岁男子以追回诈骗损失为由，向一名年轻男子支付了款项。

初步调查显示，这位老人在加密货币骗局中遭受了损失，他首先向一位朋友倾诉了此事。

在长达 15 个月的时间里，该男子据称多次向受害者索要款项，理由包括法律费用、证人保护费和其他行政费用。

警方表示，他还被认为以案件可能在海外法院审理为由，索要更多款项。

警方通过实地调查和后续调查，最终确定了该男子的身份，并将其逮捕。

如果罪名成立，他可能面临最高 10 年监禁和罚款。

警方提醒公众，在与声称能够追回因诈骗或其他欺诈计划而损失的钱财，并要求支付费用或报酬的人打交道时，务必保持警惕。

警方表示，预付款应该进行核实，尤其是当这些款项据称是出于法律、行政或处理目的而需要时。

他们补充说：“如果您怀疑自己遭遇了诈骗，请立即联系您的银行进行举报，阻止任何欺诈交易，并向警方报案。”