Jail for man who had firm opened in his name; its bank account got over $372k in scam proceeds

Published Sep 24, 2026, 02:59 PM

Updated Sep 24, 2026, 02:59 PM

A Singapore Armed Forces regular was sentenced to 11 months' jail on Sept 24 after a company that was opened under his name received US$274,945 in scam proceeds.

N. M. Pranesh had agreed to help a woman known only as "Judy" to incorporate the company.

He is expected to begin serving his sentence on Oct 1.

SINGAPORE - A Singapore Armed Forces regular has been given a jail sentence after he agreed to help a woman incorporate a company , and had one opened under his name.

According to court documents, the bank account of the firm, called Prodigym Trading, later received at total of US$274,945 (S$372,110) in scam proceeds from March 14 to 16, 2022.

N. M. Pranesh, 25, who was the company’s sole director and shareholder, was sentenced to 11 months’ jail on Sept 24.

He was also banned from being a director of any company, and taking part in the management of any firm for a period of five years from his release date.

He had pleaded guilty to being involved in an arrangement linked to the benefits of criminal conduct.

He also admitted he had failed to exercise any supervision over Prodigym’s affairs.

The bank closed Prodigym’s account in April 2022, and the company was struck off the following year.

The Straits Times has contacted the Ministry of Defence over Pranesh’s case.

His legal woes started in January 2022, when a woman known only as “Judy” contacted him via Telegram, and asked if he was interested in helping her incorporate a company in Singapore.

Court documents stated that “Judy”, who had a Malaysian phone number, then promised to pay him $10,000 over a two-month period as part of an “investment plan”.

It purportedly involved him helping her to set up the firm to sell watches from China.

Pranesh agreed to help Judy, who contacted him a few days later to ask for the log-in details of his Singpass account.

Taking instructions from her, he shared information including his Singpass credentials with an unknown man via Telegram.

“Judy” told Pranesh to talk to a woman called Tricia Lam, a representative of an unnamed corporate service provider.

Lam told him she would be incorporating Prodigym on his behalf.

The pair had a video call on Feb 24, 2022, during which she asked him to hold up his identity card, and took a screenshot of him doing so.

According to court documents, Pranesh said “Judy” and other parties had earlier sent him a list of things to say.

He then duped Lam into believing the company was for his own use.

He also did not inform her about “Judy” being involved in Prodigym.

Later that day, he transferred $650 from his personal bank account to Lam’s company as payment for its incorporation fees.

On Feb 25, 2022, he was told that Prodigym was successfully incorporated.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Bryan Wong said Pranesh was aware that “Judy” and her associates were engaged in something illegal.

Between March 14 and 16 that year, US$274,945 in scam proceeds were transferred into Prodigym’s bank account.

The money had come from a Germany-based love scam victim, and her company.

According to court documents, Pranesh said he tried to contact “Judy” after discovering that significant sums of money were withdrawn shortly after they were deposited.

However, he could not locate her on Telegram after March 16, 2022.

The love scam victim alerted the police on July 4 that year, and Pranesh was arrested on July 16, 2025 .

In mitigation, defence lawyer Jeyabal Athavan told the court his client was not the mastermind behind the offences, and had not received any remuneration.

The lawyer added Pranesh was not aware of the full extent of the offences.

Pranesh’s bail was set at $20,000, and he is expected to begin serving his sentence on Oct 1.

Shaffiq Alkhatib is The Straits Times’ court correspondent, covering mainly criminal cases heard at the State Courts.

发布于 2026 年 9 月 24 日下午 2:59

更新于2026年9月24日下午2:59

9月24日，一名新加坡武装部队正规军人因以其名义开设的公司骗取274,945美元而被判处11个月监禁。

NM Pranesh 同意帮助一位只被称为“Judy”的女士注册成立公司。

他预计将于10月1日开始服刑。

新加坡——一名新加坡武装部队正规军士兵因同意帮助一名女子注册公司，并以自己的名义开设公司而被判入狱。

根据法庭文件，这家名为 Prodigym Trading 的公司银行账户在 2022 年 3 月 14 日至 16 日期间共收到 274,945 美元（372,110 新元）的诈骗所得。

25 岁的 NM Pranesh 是该公司的唯一董事和股东，于 9 月 24 日被判处 11 个月监禁。

他还被禁止担任任何公司的董事，以及自出狱之日起五年内参与任何公司的管理。

他已承认参与了与犯罪行为获利有关的安排。

他还承认自己没有对Prodigym的事务进行任何监督。

银行于 2022 年 4 月关闭了 Prodigym 的账户，该公司于次年被注销。

《海峡时报》已就普拉内什的案件联系了国防部。

他的法律麻烦始于 2022 年 1 月，当时一位只被称为“Judy”的女子通过 Telegram 联系了他，询问他是否有兴趣帮助她在新加坡注册一家公司。

法庭文件显示，“朱迪”（Judy）拥有一个马来西亚电话号码，她承诺在两个月内支付他 10,000 美元，作为一项“投资计划”的一部分。

据称，他帮助她成立了一家公司，销售来自中国的手表。

Pranesh同意帮助Judy，几天后Judy联系他，询问他的Singpass账户的登录信息。

他按照她的指示，通过 Telegram 与一名身份不明的男子分享了包括他的 Singpass 凭证在内的信息。

“朱迪”告诉普拉内什与一位名叫特里西亚·拉姆的女士交谈，她是某未具名企业服务提供商的代表。

Lam告诉他，她会代表他将Prodigym公司注册成立。

2022 年 2 月 24 日，两人进行了一次视频通话，通话期间她要求他出示身份证，并截取了他出示身份证的屏幕截图。

根据法庭文件，普拉内什表示，“朱迪”和其他一些人之前曾给他发了一份需要说的话清单。

然后他欺骗林，让他相信这家公司是为他自己服务的。

他也没有告诉她“朱迪”参与了Prodigym的事情。

当天晚些时候，他从自己的银行账户向林的公司转账 650 美元，作为公司注册费。

2022年2月25日，他被告知Prodigym公司已成功注册成立。

副检察官布莱恩·王表示，普拉内什知道“朱迪”和她的同伙在从事非法活动。

当年 3 月 14 日至 16 日期间，诈骗所得 274,945 美元被转入 Prodigym 的银行账户。

这笔钱来自一位居住在德国的爱情骗局受害者和她的公司。

根据法庭文件，普拉内什表示，他发现大量资金在存入后不久就被取走后，试图联系“朱迪”。

然而，自 2022 年 3 月 16 日以来，他再也无法在 Telegram 上找到她。

当年7月4日，爱情骗局的受害者向警方报案，Pranesh于2025年7月16日被捕。

辩护律师杰亚巴尔·阿塔万向法庭辩称，他的当事人并非犯罪的主谋，也没有收到任何报酬。

律师补充说，普拉内什并不了解这些罪行的全部严重程度。

Pranesh 的保释金定为 2 万美元，预计将于 10 月 1 日开始服刑。

沙菲克·阿尔哈提卜是《海峡时报》的法庭记者，主要报道国家法院审理的刑事案件。