Scammers pose as SAF officers in fake bulk orders targeting Singapore businesses, Mindef urges vigilance

SINGAPORE: A series of fake bulk orders have targeted eateries and a florist in Singapore, with individuals falsely claiming to be from the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF). The Ministry of Defence (Mindef) has confirmed that none of the alleged buyers were linked to the SAF. Chee Hang Joon, owner of Sedap! restaurant in Novena, told The Straits Times on 15 September that a man named “Luke Wong”, who claimed to be from Bedok Army Camp, contacted him on 8 September. In a phone call, Wong ordered 150 packets of nasi lemak with bottled water for collection the following day at 1pm. The food and drinks were worth about S$1,600 after discount, Chee said. Although Sedap! is non-Halal, Wong sounded “young and earnest” and convincing. He claimed it was acceptable to serve non-Halal food in the army as long as it contained no pork or lard. Chee requested advance payment, but Wong said it was a last-minute order and that “the government department” could not process it in time. When the collection time arrived, Wong did not show up, and repeated calls went unanswered. Chee eventually filed a police report at 1.30pm. Fortunately, all the uncollected food was sold during lunch. Chee shared that a friend at Fitness First gym at Velocity bought 20 boxes from them.

 

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Bakery Targeted with Fake Pastry Order

Yi Jia Bakery on Thomson Road also fell victim to the scam. Its 62-year-old owner, Low, said she received a call on 11 September from a man calling himself “Gordon”, who claimed to be from Bedok Camp. He placed a S$1,500 order for pastries for 150 people, saying it was for an event the next day, and arranged for collection at 6pm on 12 September. Despite being informed that the bakery’s products were non-Halal, Gordon insisted on the order. When asked for advance payment, he said the staff had left for the day and promised to pay the next morning. On 12 September, another man called, claiming to be Gordon’s colleague. He mentioned a supplier of ready-to-eat meals and asked Low to contact them, which she refused. By then, the men had contacted her through three different numbers, repeatedly confirming details via voice messages. After several back-and-forth conversations, Low warned she would call the police if payment was not made. By 4pm – just two hours before the agreed collection time – most of the second man’s messages had been deleted, and she lost contact with both men. Low, who has run the bakery for 15 years, said she usually requires full payment upfront but was convinced by the caller’s sincerity. She later donated most of the unclaimed pastries to the charity Food from the Heart.

Tiong Bahru Hawker Stall Duped

On 9 September, a hawker stall at Tiong Bahru Market was also deceived. Stall owner Sayyid, 38, who runs Muhammad Shazain Faiha Muslim Food Paradise, said a man claiming to represent the SAF placed an order on 8 September for meals for SAF soldiers. He requested no beef or pork and asked that each packet be paired with a bottle of mineral water. Believing the order was genuine, Sayyid prepared larger portions of meat and rice at no extra cost and offered a discount, charging S$10 per packet instead of S$12. However, when the collection window arrived between 1pm and 1.30pm, no one showed up. Sayyid has since filed a police report.

Florist Loses S$1,100

Kiki Florist at KAP Mall in Bukit Timah also fell victim to the scam. On 8 September, the shop received an order for 150 small bouquets and four large ones, allegedly for a “government corporate order” from Bedok Camp. The buyer initially agreed to pay S$2,200 upon collection but refused to make a deposit. After negotiation, the order was reduced to 50 bouquets worth S$1,100. Joselyn Lie, 21, co-owner of the business, told CNA that the buyer sounded “very sincere” and even cited past incidents where he had allegedly paid vendors who failed to deliver. She shared screenshots of their WhatsApp exchanges, which included a profile photo of a man in what appeared to be a Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) uniform. On 10 September, the supposed customer said his “men” would collect the bouquets. When they failed to arrive, he later demanded the full 150 bouquets and then stopped responding. “We’d been led on, strung along, and stood up,” Lie wrote in a blog post. While the incident cost the business around S$1,100 and forced them to turn away other customers, they eventually managed to sell the prepared bouquets.

Mindef Confirms No SAF Links

On 14 September, Mindef issued a Facebook advisory warning businesses of such scams. “The SAF has observed a number of allegedly fraudulent bulk orders made by individuals claiming to be SAF personnel. The SAF takes a serious view of this,” the post read. Mindef added that for the seven cases known so far, there was no evidence linking the individuals to the SAF. The ministry has lodged police reports regarding the matter and urged businesses to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity.