Imagine this convo in prison:
“I killed a man,” said a gigantic man with a fierce expression. “What did you do?”
The other party simply looked up.
“I… used others’ NRIC numbers to redeem free masks.”
Right there and then, the gigantic man knew.
He was no match for such a horrendous criminal.
Clinic Assistant & Property Agent Jailed for Taking Others’ NRIC Number to Redeem Free Masks
Alright so maybe the introductory paragraph was a little… meme-ish.
But the gist actually holds true.
So lest you’re unaware, Temasek Foundation has a policy of stocking its vending machines with face masks.
Redemption’s also free.
However, Singapore residents were only entitled to one each. In order to collect, they have to input their NRIC numbers.
But for two Singaporeans, one was evidently not enough.
And on 27 September 2021, clinic assistant Ang Poh Lay and property agent David Chin Sing Chuin were duly punished for their greed.
Apparently, the pair struck separately after Temasek Foundation’s fourth nationwide mask pack handout in February this year. The vending machines had been stocked with brand new navy blue masks by Swiss Company Livinguard.
Each reportedly costs S$10.
For Ang, she had rapidly realised that the mask quality was higher this time round.
In a bid to collect more, she logged into her workplace’s records between 1 and 7 March and copied eight patients’ personal information onto a piece of paper.
She also kept the details of 18 other patients.
It should be noted that she had specifically gone for patients whom she assumed to be less likely to retrieve the masks, either due to age or other factors.
Ang then used the NRIC details to redeem more masks.
Her crime eventually surfaced, however, when a 68-year-old victim filed a police report for being unable to redeem her mask pack.
A screenshot of the person who had redeemed it was also sent to the 68-year-old, who clarified that she did not recognise Ang.
Ang’s home was subsequently searched; 20 Livinguard face masks were eventually uncovered.
Meanwhile, Chin, who worked for property firm PropNex, used his clients’ NRIC numbers to redeem masks between 1 and 14 March.
He had procured the NRIC numbers beforehand for the sale of their properties.
10 clients’ details were reportedly utilised.
His crimes came to light when a victim complained to PropNex. Another victim had also filed a police report.
Sentencing
In court, Ang was sentenced to nine weeks’ imprisonment for her offence.
The prosecution noted that her offences were not one-off, and that she had misused her position.
Ang will begin her sentence today (28 September 2021).
As for Chin, he was sentenced to one week’s imprisonment.
His employment had also been terminated on 27 April 2021.
For cheating, offenders can be imprisoned for three or ten years and get fined.
For unlawfully keeping personal information, offenders can be jailed for up to ten years and fined.
Other Instances
Unfortunately, such scenarios aren’t rare anymore.
In August 2021, it was announced that the authorities will charge five people for allegedly collecting face masks from Temasek Foundation vending machines using illegally obtained personal information.
One suspect – a 59-year-old man – was the most prolific of them all, allegedly redeeming 257 face masks from the machines through illegal means.
The man is believed to have fraudulently obtained the NRIC and FIN numbers of other residents in the course of his work.
And in 2020, a woman was accused of illegally obtaining personal information to redeem over 460 reusable face masks from a vending machine at Yio Chu Kang Community Centre.
