Over two dozen car enthusiasts in local online motoring
forums cheated in cheat-parts scam
More than a dozen motorists have been conned out of tens of
thousands of dollars by a brazen internet trickster, who has
challenged them to 'catch me if you can'.
A person going by the name of Jude Tan began posting messages on
local internet car forums early last month and claimed to be able
to get bulk discounts on car parts and accessories from suppliers
in Europe, and offered sought-after components such as racing
gauges, sports exhaust systems, voltage stabilisers and other
electronics to enhance a car's performance.
THE GOODS WERE NEVER SEND.
According to Mr Ling, who lost $420, victims paid money into two
DBS accounts. The owners of these accounts then paid 'Jude Tan' an
equivalent amount in 'e-gold' - a cyber currency that is backed by
real gold. It is not clear at this point if the account holders are
aware of the scam, but The Straits Times understands one of them is
cooperating with the police.
The police yesterday confirmed they have so far received two
reports and are investigating.
DBS spokesman said the two accounts were genuine but were not
registered under the name 'Jude Tan'. She said DBS had not heard
about the matter from any of its customers, or the police.
Lawyer Vijay Parwani of Pawani & Co said for the case to be
criminal, there must be proof of 'intention to cheat'. 'Generally,
if there's more than one victim, it's an inference that there's
intention,' he said. 'But first, you have to catch him.'
Partial abstract of The Straits Times, 1 Nov 2006