SINGAPORE: The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) has observed a number of allegedly fraudulent bulk orders made by individuals claiming to be its personnel, the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) said on Sunday (Sep 14).
MINDEF said in a Facebook post on Sunday that it is aware of seven such cases and has made police reports on them.
“We have not found any evidence that these individuals are affiliated with the SAF,” it said, adding that the SAF takes a serious view of the matter.
“We urge the public, including businesses, to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity to the police,” MINDEF added.
KNOWN CASES
The bakery posted on Instagram on Saturday, alleging that a man who claimed to be an SAF personnel from Bedok Camp placed a S$2,000 (US$1,550) order but did not show up during the collection time and did not answer any calls.
Kiki Florist, in a blog post on its website, said it suffered losses of more than S$1,000 after preparing flowers for what appeared to be a fake bulk order on Sep 8 that was never collected.
A man had asked for 150 small bouquets and four extra-large ones to be ready within 48 hours, claiming it was a “corporate order from the government” and that he was from Bedok Army Camp.
That same week, a hawker stall in Tiong Bahru Market also said it had been duped by someone claiming to be from the SAF. The stallholder had prepared 150 packets of chicken and mutton briyani, only to realise that the order was a hoax.
MINDEF said at the time investigations found “no evidence that these individuals are affiliated with the SAF”.
