SINGAPORE: A man was jailed for five months on Friday (Sep 26) for using edited PayNow screenshots to buy more than S$3,000 (US$2,320) worth of cigarettes from the same store over 116 occasions.
Mohamad Razali Ali, a 40-year-old Singaporean, pleaded guilty to one charge of cheating the 3C Supermart at North Link Building at 10 Admiralty Street, between July 2024 and Feb 14, 2025.
The court heard that Razali was having financial difficulties sometime around July 2024 but “still wanted to smoke cigarettes”.
He came up with a plan to present forged screenshots depicting PayNow transfers to the convenience store, to deceive it into thinking he had paid for the cigarettes when he had not.
On at least 116 occasions between July 2024 and Feb 14, 2025, Razali prepared forged screenshots depicting PayNow transfers of S$27 to the mart.
He would edit the date and time on the screenshot based on a legitimate former transfer to match the approximate date and time he would be visiting.
Each time, he went to the mart and told the store attendant that he wanted to buy two packets of cigarettes. Each pack cost S$13.50.
After the employee retrieved the packets from the shelves, he would then present the forged screenshot as proof of payment.
In total, the mart was deceived into giving him cigarettes worth S$3,132.
Razali’s actions were discovered on Feb 19 this year, on his 117th attempt.
When Razali tried to buy two packets, the staff member on duty checked his payment record and realised that he did not actually make the transfer.
He asked Razali to show his proof of payment again, but Razali refused.
The employee then filed a police report and officers arrived shortly and arrested Razali.
He made full restitution in June this year.
The court heard that he had prior convictions in 2003, 2005 and 2014 for offences like rioting, affray and cheating with abetment.
In particular, he was given one month’s jail in October 2014 for cheating with abetment.
The prosecutor said the offence was premeditated and relatively sophisticated.
He also has a prior related conviction, she said.
Razali’s lawyer, Mr Edwin Ho from the Public Defender’s Office, sought a lower jail term.
He said his client had cooperated fully and that a long jail term is potentially damaging to his family.
He said Razali had received a call from a social worker saying they wished to send his son to a psychiatrist due to attempted suicide.
Razali wishes to be out quickly so he can be ready for an interview with the social worker in relation to this, said Mr Ho.
He also wanted to be released early to help his daughter with her transition to secondary school, said the lawyer.
Razali also received news of his uncle’s passing on Friday afternoon and was very distraught and shocked by it, said the lawyer.
He sought a lenient sentence so he can come out of prison early to properly mourn his uncle and grieve together with his family, said Mr Ho.
In sentencing, District Judge James Elisha Lee said he considered the total value of the cigarettes involved and the fact that the offence took place over 116 occasions over a period of seven months.
Razali was also motivated by personal gain, he said.
