SINGAPORE: Two childhood friends from China conspired to cheat buyers in Singapore by selling them counterfeit iPhones.
One of the men, Hu Haijun, 40, targeted domestic helpers and labourers as he believed these people were easier to cheat.
He sought the help of Hu Zhen Jie, 33, to bring more counterfeit phones to Singapore and to obtain fake sales receipts to bolster the authenticity of the phones.
Both men were jailed by the State Courts on Thursday (May 22) after they admitted to their offences.
Haijun received five months’ jail, while Zhen Jie was handed three months and one week of jail.
Haijun pleaded guilty to three charges of cheating, while Zhen Jie pleaded guilty to one count each of cheating and importing counterfeit goods into Singapore.
Each had a few other charges, including cheating, taken into consideration for their sentencing.
On February 28, this year, Haijun came to Singapore with four counterfeit iPhone 16 Pro Max mobile phones, which he had bought from a supplier in Shenzhen.
He brought them here to sell, intending to pass them off as authentic. He sought out domestic helpers and labourers whom he felt were easier to cheat.
Haijun posted about his arrival on a social media application and Zhen Jie reached out to him. As they were conversing over a chat app, Haijun told him about his plan and proposed that Zhen Jie do the same.
He further suggested that Zhen Jie procure fake sales receipts to bolster the deception. Zhen Jie agreed to the proposal as he wanted to earn some money.
Zhen Jie brought with him two counterfeit iPhones when he entered Singapore on Mar 8, 2025. He tried to sell these two bogus devices to at least 35 unknown persons in Singapore but was unsuccessful.
Court documents detailed how Haijun managed to sell a fake mobile phone to a female Indonesian national for about S$600 after approaching her at City Plaza on Mar 9, 2025.
He initially intended to sell her the phone for S$1,000. The victim withdrew S$600 from an ATM and passed the cash to Haijun.
However, she later discovered the phone was fake when she discovered the Google Store installed on it. She then lodged a police report.
Haijun encountered a male foreign worker between Mar 15 and Mar 16 and offered him a counterfeit phone for S$700.
The unidentified worker managed to haggle the price down to S$400 and bought the phone.
On Mar 18, a team of police officers arrested the two men at Kim Tian Hotel in Geylang and seized properties, including cash of S$1,060 in Haijun’s possession.
Both men, who appeared in court via videolink, were unrepresented and spoke through Mandarin interpreters.
In mitigation, Zhen Jie said he was the sole breadwinner of his family, including two young children and aged parents.
Haijun said he was supporting his parents and two children and asked for leniency.
Principal District Judge Toh Han Li said it was aggravating that Haijun had targeted victims whom he saw as more vulnerable.
