It started when an 18-year-old girl told her mother’s friend that she had found a potential husband for her, showing her a photograph of the man from her mobile phone.
In the end, teenager Soh Chih Hui cheated Madam Goh Seng Mui, then 56 years old, of at least S$49,600 between April and October 2015.
Soh took advantage of the victim’s superstitious beliefs, pretending that she was a deity to trick her into submission.
Mdm Goh handed over all her savings and resorted to borrowing from her brother.
Soh, now 23, claimed trial to her offences but was found guilty of a cheating charge on Wednesday (Sept 30), with a district judge saying the prosecution had proved their case beyond a reasonable doubt.
Read also: Teenager admits exploiting loophole to cheat taxi company of S$2,600 for 117 cab rides
Soh had admitted her crimes to the police, but denied during the trial that she took any money from Mdm Goh or helped her to find a husband.
She will return to court on Dec 3 to be sentenced and remains out on bail of S$15,000. She could be jailed up to 10 years and fined.
VICTIM ‘PLAINLY NAIVE’
During the 16-day trial, Mdm Goh testified that she could not recall exactly how much money she had handed to Soh.
This was because a long period of time had gone by and she did not keep any records.
Mdm Goh is a primary school friend of Soh’s mother and she later worked for Soh’s father at a bak kut teh (pork rib soup) stall in Tampines.
Soh told her one day that she could introduce her to a 51-year-old bank employee, who would become her boyfriend and future husband. The man allegedly earned S$7,000 a month and owned a temple in the Changi area.
Mdm Goh regularly prayed at temples, attending “xiu xing” (religious practice) lessons and changing her name for good luck.
Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Eric Hu said that she was “a superstitious person” and “plainly naive and simple-minded”, having worked odd jobs her entire life — something that Soh exploited.
When Soh demanded money, she appeared to Mdm Goh as a child deity, speaking in a high-pitched and child-like voice.
She spoke in a low voice and appeared as another deity named “Fu Wang” on other occasions.
She told Mdm Goh that she could not find a husband because she was not fated to be with a man.
Soh added that Mdm Goh needed to “borrow fate”, which meant that she had to hand over cash to buy makeup and cosmetics, branded shoes and clothing, as well as to chant prayers, do rituals and make offerings.
Mdm Goh testified that she handed over about S$90,000 and was “very frightened”, giving Soh whatever amount she asked.
DPP Hu said: “Ultimately, the victim was unsure of the time period and the amounts because she was repeatedly asked by the accused to deliver money on multiple occasions. It happened over so many occasions that she could no longer remember the specific details anymore.
“To be blunt, the victim was treated akin to the accused’s personal ATM. Whenever the accused wanted money, she would call the victim, and the victim would have to scramble to withdraw and pass cash to her, even when it was in the middle of the night.”
MORE MANIPULATION
On one occasion, Mdm Goh recounted giving S$10,000 to Soh in a toilet cubicle at the Tampines One mall, and borrowing S$19,000 from her brother.
He testified that Mdm Goh could not reveal the reason for the loan or she would be revealing “the secret of heaven”.
After she ran out of money, Soh asked her to work for her father at the hawker stall and to give her the salary when she is paid.
Mdm Goh also gave Soh an insurance payout of more than S$17,000.
In January 2016, Mdm Goh finally realised what was going on when Soh asked her to sell her Housing and Development Board flat. Soh’s family had grown suspicious, too.
Mdm Goh eventually filed a police report.
Read more at https://www.todayonline.com/singapo...iend-acting-deity-took-her-savings-salary-and
In the end, teenager Soh Chih Hui cheated Madam Goh Seng Mui, then 56 years old, of at least S$49,600 between April and October 2015.
Soh took advantage of the victim’s superstitious beliefs, pretending that she was a deity to trick her into submission.
Mdm Goh handed over all her savings and resorted to borrowing from her brother.
Soh, now 23, claimed trial to her offences but was found guilty of a cheating charge on Wednesday (Sept 30), with a district judge saying the prosecution had proved their case beyond a reasonable doubt.
Read also: Teenager admits exploiting loophole to cheat taxi company of S$2,600 for 117 cab rides
Soh had admitted her crimes to the police, but denied during the trial that she took any money from Mdm Goh or helped her to find a husband.
She will return to court on Dec 3 to be sentenced and remains out on bail of S$15,000. She could be jailed up to 10 years and fined.
VICTIM ‘PLAINLY NAIVE’
During the 16-day trial, Mdm Goh testified that she could not recall exactly how much money she had handed to Soh.
This was because a long period of time had gone by and she did not keep any records.
Mdm Goh is a primary school friend of Soh’s mother and she later worked for Soh’s father at a bak kut teh (pork rib soup) stall in Tampines.
Soh told her one day that she could introduce her to a 51-year-old bank employee, who would become her boyfriend and future husband. The man allegedly earned S$7,000 a month and owned a temple in the Changi area.
Mdm Goh regularly prayed at temples, attending “xiu xing” (religious practice) lessons and changing her name for good luck.
Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Eric Hu said that she was “a superstitious person” and “plainly naive and simple-minded”, having worked odd jobs her entire life — something that Soh exploited.
When Soh demanded money, she appeared to Mdm Goh as a child deity, speaking in a high-pitched and child-like voice.
She spoke in a low voice and appeared as another deity named “Fu Wang” on other occasions.
She told Mdm Goh that she could not find a husband because she was not fated to be with a man.
Soh added that Mdm Goh needed to “borrow fate”, which meant that she had to hand over cash to buy makeup and cosmetics, branded shoes and clothing, as well as to chant prayers, do rituals and make offerings.
Mdm Goh testified that she handed over about S$90,000 and was “very frightened”, giving Soh whatever amount she asked.
DPP Hu said: “Ultimately, the victim was unsure of the time period and the amounts because she was repeatedly asked by the accused to deliver money on multiple occasions. It happened over so many occasions that she could no longer remember the specific details anymore.
“To be blunt, the victim was treated akin to the accused’s personal ATM. Whenever the accused wanted money, she would call the victim, and the victim would have to scramble to withdraw and pass cash to her, even when it was in the middle of the night.”
MORE MANIPULATION
On one occasion, Mdm Goh recounted giving S$10,000 to Soh in a toilet cubicle at the Tampines One mall, and borrowing S$19,000 from her brother.
He testified that Mdm Goh could not reveal the reason for the loan or she would be revealing “the secret of heaven”.
After she ran out of money, Soh asked her to work for her father at the hawker stall and to give her the salary when she is paid.
Mdm Goh also gave Soh an insurance payout of more than S$17,000.
In January 2016, Mdm Goh finally realised what was going on when Soh asked her to sell her Housing and Development Board flat. Soh’s family had grown suspicious, too.
Mdm Goh eventually filed a police report.
Read more at https://www.todayonline.com/singapo...iend-acting-deity-took-her-savings-salary-and
