Singapore—A Grab Food deliveryman who participated in several scams as well as threatened to expose a man he had been sexually intimate with was given a jail sentence of nine months and six weeks on Tuesday (Jan 5).
Twenty-five-year-old Sim Zhi Gang pleaded guilty to three counts of cheating, one count of receiving criminal proceeds, one count of causing hurt, and one count of criminal intimidation.
An additional eight charges were also considered in his sentencing.
The court learned that Sim, who is newly married and has a pregnant wife, had defrauded an insurance company with a false injury claim as well as perpetuated several scams between 2018 and 2019.
He also caused injuries to another person.
With regards to the man he had slept with, whose name has not been disclosed for the victim’s protection, Sim threatened the man with exposure if he did not give him S$100.
Sim met the man via social media. The two men got together and had sex in the man’s residence in April 2018.
Shortly after they had sex, Yahoo Singapore reports that Sim threatened to reveal what had happened between them by posting screenshots of their conversations on Facebook. It was then that Sim asked for S$100, which the victim paid.
The victim, however, made a police report the following day.
According to Deputy Public Prosecutors Koh Mun Keong and Matthew Choo, Sim paid his victim back in full on Oct 22, 2020.
Two years ago, Sim carried out a scam wherein individuals signed up for a cell phone line and gave him access to a phone unit and SIM card. He sold the phones and SIM cards to others but left the victims needing to pay the bills.
He let his victims believe that they would receive “fast cash” and commissions for signing up for the phone lines while assuring them he would take care of the bills.
This scam ended up costing his victims S$13,004.
DPP Koh said no restitutions have been made.
Sim, with two others, also perpetuated a Carousell ticket scam where people bought fake tickets to local attractions and concerts.
He worked hand in hand in this with Koh Jun Xiong, a known “telco king” notorious for scamming others. Koh has since been sentenced to at least one year of reformative training.
In September 2017, after Sim was in a motor vehicle accident, he conspired with two people to file fraudulent insurance claims, lying about experiencing certain symptoms.
But when his S$10,285.40 claim was investigated by NTUC Income Insurance, the claim was not paid, and the company also filed a police report.
Additionally, in March 2020, he punched a man in the face in an altercation. While others held down the man, who reportedly cheated one of his friends in a deal, Sim assaulted him.
Sim’s lawyer says that he is remorseful and that he wants to turn over a new leaf for his wife and unborn child.
“He tells me he wishes to…be a devoted and a responsible husband, and leave all this behind him,” said lawyer Wee Hong Shern.
—/TISG
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