SINGAPORE: In a Reddit post, a Singaporean commuter shared an encounter that he had witnessed while exiting the MRT. u/potatoesbydefault posted in r/singapore that he saw a lady dressed in black approach an elderly uncle and ask him something.
“This is something I witnessed exiting the MRT. A lady dressed in black was walking ahead of me quickly to the escalator. I was going quickly too and overtaking the same people she overtook. As she walked by an elderly Chinese uncle, she suddenly slowed down to his speed and started talking to him. I’m pretty sure he didn’t know her,” the Reddit user said.
He added: “I had to overtake and caught a glimpse/overheard her. She didn’t look or sound Singaporean but started asking the uncle something. I stopped by the side a few more steps ahead and looked straight at her. I made sure she knew I was watching her. She said a few more things but the uncle smiled and continued walking.”
The lady gave up. The Reddit user then went to talk to the uncle. The older man said he suspected the woman was involved in a scam.
“He said she wanted him to buy her a meal and asked if she approached me too. Then he said it’s probably a scam and laughed it off. Glad he was aware and alert,” the commuter concluded.
Other Redditors commented on the post to share their opinions.
One user stated: “Rare to see aunties and uncles who will ignore and continue walking. Most will stop and listen. The moment they stop and listen salesperson will have their claws on them. No shame lying and deceiving to sell their overpriced item. Their lack of morals and shamelessness has been honed over the years to pounce on vulnerable people. Normal people hired to sell this type of overpriced items would have quit after a while. Some of these scum even try to hold the arms of those passing by.”
Another user shared her encounter and remarked: “I don’t think they limit themselves to the elderly. I was changing money at Marina Square and then 2 women came up to me and with Mainlander accents asked me if I wanted to have dinner with them. I was really taken aback because Marina Square is just a normal mall and how blatant they were about it. I just pointed them in the direction of the restaurants :)”
In other news involving scammers in Singapore, the police recently warned members of the public about a sophisticated fraud scheme that has cost victims millions of dollars. Scammers are employing a devious technique involving malware installation on victims’ mobile phones, unauthorised online banking transactions, and the subsequent restoration of the phone to factory settings, leaving victims stunned by the theft.
At least S$10 million stolen in new malware scam targeting mobile banking customers