Man jailed for running donation scam that duped thousands of victims out of more than S$106,000

SINGAPORE: A man was sentenced to 46 months' jail on Monday (Nov 17) for running a scam operation that collected over S$106,000 (US$81,300) in fraudulent donations from more than 12,600 victims.

Lim Kah Kheng, 42, was convicted of four counts of cheating on Monday. Another eight cheating charges and three counts of theft in dwelling were taken into consideration for the purpose of sentencing.

In a joint news release with the Office of the Commissioner of Charities on Monday, police said they received a report on Jun 24, 2024 in relation to a man who was going around knocking on doors and soliciting donations in the vicinity of Bedok North Street 3. 

Further investigations showed that Lim had orchestrated a donation scam by making counterfeit staff passes and fraudulent documents, between Jan 28, 2020 and the day the police report was made.  

"Under the guise of social entrepreneurship and charitable work, he recruited and misled seven individuals into believing they were participating in legitimate charitable activities, and ultimately deceived members of the public into making donations under false pretences," said the authorities.

Officers established the man's identity and arrested him on the same day of receiving the report, with the police and Office of the Commissioner of Charities noting that the scam operation had targeted residential areas.

Members of the public should remain vigilant against such donation scams, including being discerning when approached by fundraisers, said the authorities.

Suspicious charitable fund-raising activities should be reported to the Office of the Commissioner of Charities and a police report should also be filed immediately if a fraud or a scam is suspected.

Those convicted of cheating can be fined and jailed for up to 10 years.