22-year-old Sri Lankan woman jailed after bank account used in fake SAF bulk-order scam

SINGAPORE: A 22-year-old Sri Lankan national was sentenced on Wednesday (1 Oct) to three months and two weeks’ jail, along with a S$1,100 fine, after selling her bank account details. If she fails to pay the fine, she will serve an additional three days in prison. The account was later used to funnel almost S$18,000 in scam proceeds, most of which came from a fake Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) bulk order scam. Rajadi Rajasinghe Manamendra Patabadilage Vishwa Madavi pleaded guilty to one charge under the Computer Misuse Act for abetting an unknown person by providing her bank login details for illegal use. She was charged on 17 September 2025. Rajadi was among six individuals arrested in connection with the SAF impersonation scams. This is the first sentencing linked to the spate of scams where perpetrators impersonated SAF personnel to place fraudulent bulk food orders.

The Case

Rajadi, facing financial difficulties in September, was told by friends about an unknown person — purportedly from Sri Lanka — who would pay for access to her bank account. She obtained the contact details from her friends and sold her DBS account details for S$1,100. After the sale, more than S$30,000 was deposited into the account and later withdrawn. This included S$16,000 scammed from a 59-year-old restaurant owner in Singapore. The victim, who owns Karu’s Indian Banana Leaf Restaurant, received a call on 2 September from a man identifying himself as “Marcus” from Stagmont Camp. Marcus claimed he wanted to place a bulk order for 150 biryani meals worth S$2,325. He said he would collect the order two days later and pay upon collection. Marcus kept in touch to assure the victim the order was genuine. On the morning of 4 September, he asked the victim to purchase 40 ready-to-eat meals from a “distributor” named Kelvin, claiming army approval processes had delayed direct procurement. He promised to pay for both the biryani and the additional meals upon collection. Trusting him, the victim transferred S$8,000 to Kelvin via PayNow. Kelvin said the meals would be delivered later that day. Marcus then asked the victim to order 80 more meals, leading to another transfer of S$16,000. By 5pm, Marcus requested further purchases. However, the victim realised Marcus had not collected the biryani and that the ready-to-eat meals had not been delivered. Suspecting a scam, he lodged a police report. Apart from this case, Rajadi’s account was also used to receive S$1,980 from a 48-year-old woman who had transferred money after receiving a WhatsApp loan request from someone posing as her cousin. Police froze Rajadi’s DBS account on 4 September, with only about S$89 remaining.

Court Proceedings

Prosecutors sought three and a half to four months’ jail, along with a fine equivalent to the S$1,100 she had gained. Through a Sinhalese interpreter, Rajadi expressed remorse, saying she had acted out of desperation due to financial hardship. “I ran into financial difficulties. My mother was a heart patient and unable to send me money. I borrowed from friends, but they threatened me, so some suggested selling my account details. I agreed,” she said. She pleaded for leniency, telling the court: “Your honour, I came here to study. I have disappointed my mother. Please give me a chance.” In sentencing, the judge noted the prevalence of scam-related crimes. For disclosing her bank account details for an illegal purpose, Rajadi could have faced up to seven years’ jail, a fine of S$50,000, or both.

Police and MINDEF Warnings

Police confirmed that at least five reports have been lodged since 4 September, involving losses of about S$32,000. In a 14 September advisory, the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) said seven scams had been reported, stressing that no SAF personnel were involved. On 23 September, MINDEF issued a further warning after detecting three more cases. The ministry said fraudsters had used forged procurement documents to impersonate SAF or MINDEF staff. “We urge the public and all businesses to stay vigilant and report any suspicious activities to the police,” MINDEF stated.