Byron Yeaw Li Xun scammed strangers out of approximately S$28,000 by asking them to lend him money near MRT stations, often claiming he needed the fun
Byron Yeaw Li Xun scammed strangers out of approximately S$28,000 by asking them to lend him money near MRT stations, often claiming he needed the funds for urgent transport and living expenses. Many of his victims were students.
Yeaw, now 26, managed to deceive 78 individuals over the course of almost four years, convincing them that he was in a rush to get to an important destination, according to Today. In one case, a full-time national serviceman (NSF) with only S$2,100 in his bank account lent Yeaw a substantial sum of S$2,000.
This incident occurred at Yew Tee MRT station in February 2022, where Yeaw told the NSF that he had just 50 cents left. He added that his salary had been delayed and that he needed money to get through the month. The NSF became suspicious when Yeaw asked for an additional S$100.
Yeaw’s scamming activities began in 2019 while he was employed at Singtel. He would approach strangers, asking for money to cover personal expenses. His method was to wait outside MRT stations, claiming that he needed to travel far but lacked the money for a taxi or private-hire vehicle. To build trust, he would show his identification documents and convince the victims that he would reimburse them once he received his salary. However, if the victims offered to book a ride for him, he would refuse, insisting he had to do it himself.
After receiving the money, Yeaw would spend it on personal expenses. If a victim threatened to file a police report, Yeaw would return the borrowed money to avoid legal trouble. He was first arrested in March 2020 and charged in court. However, after being released on bail in August 2021, Yeaw resumed his deceptive practices, asking for even larger amounts of money, reportedly to feed a gambling habit. His actions continued until March 2022 when he was remanded.
On Friday (Sept 23), Yeaw was sentenced to one year in jail after pleading guilty to five counts of cheating. Another 18 charges were considered during his sentencing. The prosecution noted that Yeaw had developed a “well-honed modus operandi” and often targeted younger women and students. He could have faced up to 10 years of imprisonment and a fine for each charge.
Despite his actions, Yeaw has since made full restitution to all of his victims.
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