Indian-origin man cheats Singapore woman of Rs 1.6 crore, dupes her into 57 payments claiming to buy video games

A 31-year-old Indian-origin man in Singapore has been sentenced to 2 years in prison for cheating a 25-year-old woman he met on Carousell (Singaporean e-commerce company) out of over S$268,000 (around Rs 1.6 crore) over seven months.The man was identified as Thevendran, who led the woman to believe they had a genuine friendship while repeatedly asking her for money for various reasons. He claimed he needed funds for a court case, bail, dental bills, and other expenses. In reality, he used the money to fund his gambling habit, reports the Mothership.The scam began on July 24, 2021, when Thevendran posted a listing on Carousell for a PlayStation 4. The woman paid a S$150 deposit for delivery within seven days and later transferred an additional S$49 for games. She believed she was paying for the PS4, which was never delivered.After the initial transaction, Thevendran continued messaging the woman on Carousell and WhatsApp. Between August 17, 2021 and January 9, 2022, he deceived her into sending money on 57 occasions. On several occasions, she transferred S$10,000 at his request.Thevendran knew from August 18, 2021, that the money came from the woman’s insurance and CPF payouts following her mother’s death. By December 2021, he was aware that she had no remaining funds, yet he kept asking for more money. He later returned a total of S$5,000 on three occasions. The deception was uncovered when the woman transferred S$26,000 from her father’s bank account without his knowledge, leading to a police investigation.In total, Thevendran cheated the victim of roughly S$268,520. During sentencing, deputy public prosecutor Suriya Prakash said that he continued his actions despite knowing the victim had no money left. The defence lawyer said Thevendran realised how serious his actions were, had received counselling, and had not committed any offences in the past four years.District Judge Janet Wang noted the psychological harm and financial loss suffered by the victim, adding that she considered Thevendran to voluntarily pay back S$104,000, around 40 per cent of the total sum.Thevendran pleaded guilty to one count of cheating in an earlier court hearing.