Robberies aren’t always as elaborate as they seem in movies.
It doesn’t always take one genius professor and a group of highly skilled individuals to rob an establishment, like Netflix’s Money Heist.
Sometimes, all you need is a little deception, a little confidence, and a haversack.
Man Cosplayed As Handy Man & Stole From A Food Stall In Broad Daylight
A fake handyman stole an entire cash register and other equipment from a coffee shop stall in Sembawang during the early hours of 16 December.
The owner of the stall, Flying Wok, arrived for work the next morning only to find that his cash register, Nets terminal, and modem had all been stolen.
The counter also showed traces of being ransacked, he told Lianhe Wanbao.
Open 24 hours
If you live in Sembawang, you may have been to Yong Li Coffee Station, a 24-hour coffee shop in the area. This is why the fake handyman struck.
Some stalls, like the one serving drinks, stay open 24 hours. But Flying Wok closes at 10.30 pm.
Reader: Ok, so this means there must have been at least one other person at the coffee shop. So, how did the thief get away with it?
Clothes and a haversack, my dear Watson reader.
Fortunately for Flying Wok’s owner, the thief was caught on camera carrying out his misdeed.
If you watch the video, you’ll see that the man’s “cosplay” probably took about 2 minutes to assemble. The “fake handyman” outfit comprises a dark t-shirt, shorts, and a cap. But what really sells this “technician” look is his haversack.
Everyone knows that all electricians, cable technicians, and handymen come out of their mothers already carrying a haversack when they’re born.
Now, all he had to do was tell someone that he was a technician. Which he did.
POS Technician
According to Flying Wok’s Facebook post, the man posed as their POS technician and told the drinks stall owner that he came to repair Flying Wok’s POS terminal at 3.30am.
Now, I’ve personally never heard of anyone repairing anything at 3.30am, but maybe that’s just me.
As you can see in the video, the man fiddles with the cash register and keeps looking at a piece of paper, presumably to make himself look more “technician-y”.
Another reason why people in the coffee shop bought his “technician” excuse is that he took his time with the robbery. People who commit crimes are usually in a rush and that often makes them look suspicious to people who aren’t even aware of what they’re doing.
But this guy was so chill that he even ordered a drink from the drinks stall mid-robbery.
Thief: Uncle, one Milo Peng, please. Stealing is hard work.
Uncle: Did you say stealing?
Thief: No no, uh… I said peeing. Peeing is hard work.
Uncle: … Okay weirdo.
So, while the drinks stall owner was suspicious at first, he didn’t question anything after the thief assured them that he was just a handyman.
One of the drink stall owners even watched as he stuffed the entire register into his backpack, believing that he was simply bringing it back for repairs.
“There was $300 worth of coins inside the register. Along with the missing electronics, all of which need to be replaced, it’s about $10,000 in damages,” Flying Wok’s owner said.
Advertisements
Police investigations are ongoing.
If there’s anything to learn from this, it’s that you shouldn’t trust anyone, especially someone carrying a haversack.
