MINDEF warns of allegedly fraudulent bulk orders made by individuals claiming to be SAF personnel
The Ministry of Defence says it is aware of seven such cases and has made police reports on them.
Breaditation Bakery received an order of over S$2,000 from a person claiming to be an SAF personnel. (Images: Breaditation Bakery)
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SINGAPORE: The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) has observed a number of allegedly fraudulent bulk orders made by individuals claiming to be its personnel, the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) said on Sunday (Sep 14).
MINDEF said in a Facebook post on Sunday that it is aware of seven such cases and has made police reports on them.
"We have not found any evidence that these individuals are affiliated with the SAF," it said, adding that the SAF takes a serious view of the matter.
KNOWN CASES
The bakery posted on Instagram on Saturday, alleging that a man who claimed to be an SAF personnel from Bedok Camp placed a S$2,000 (US$1,550) order but did not show up during the collection time and did not answer any calls.
Kiki Florist, in a blog post on its website, said it suffered losses of more than S$1,000 after preparing flowers for what appeared to be a fake bulk order on Sep 8 that was never collected.
A man had asked for 150 small bouquets and four extra-large ones to be ready within 48 hours, claiming it was a "corporate order from the government" and that he was from Bedok Army Camp.
That same week, a hawker stall in Tiong Bahru Market also said it had been duped by someone claiming to be from the SAF. The stallholder had prepared 150 packets of chicken and mutton briyani, only to realise that the order was a hoax.
MINDEF said at the time investigations found "no evidence that these individuals are affiliated with the SAF".
OTHER FAKE BULK ORDER SCAMS
Police said on Jul 28 that there were cases of fake bulk order scams targeting the renovation, F&B, retail and service industries.
At least five cases were reported from May to July, with total losses amounting to at least S$52,000, read the news release.
For that scam variant, scammers would pose as teachers or staff from academic institutions in Singapore.
They would contact renovation firms, restaurants, retailers, or service-related businesses via phone call or WhatsApp message, pretending to be customers making bulk orders or to make reservations.
The scammers would request additional items, specific brands of items that the targeted businesses do not carry, or order quantities that the businesses are unable to fulfil on short notice.
They would then recommend another scammer impersonating as a “supplier” to the victims.
The “customer” may provide fake payment documentation, such as screenshots, to convince the victims that they had made a partial payment of the bulk order in advance.
This tactic is used to persuade the victims to provide payment for the orders placed with the “supplier”.
Victims would only realise they have been scammed when they did not receive any payment from the “customer”, when the “supplier” fails to deliver the goods, or when both the “customer” and the “supplier” become uncontactable.
