A 47-year-old Singaporean man, Chang Ka Phin, was sentenced to one month’s jail on Thursday (Oct 9) after being convicted of a cheating offence involving the Giant supermarket at Block 883, Woodlands Street 82.
According to CNA, between January and March this year, Chang visited the supermarket 26 times, using the self-checkout machine to carry out his deception. He repeatedly scanned and cancelled multiple items, then scanned only a cheap drink, priced between S$0.50 and S$0.70, to make it appear as if he had legitimately paid for all his items.
Through this scheme, Chang walked away with 143 unpaid items, resulting in a total loss of about S$534 to the supermarket. His actions went unnoticed until Mar 21, when a loss prevention officer observed his suspicious behaviour and waited for him outside the store.
Upon being stopped, Chang was unable to show a valid receipt. A staff member printed a copy, revealing that only a single drink had been paid for, while several unpaid items were found in his bag.
Following an internal review, Giant discovered that Chang had committed similar acts more than 20 times over the three-month period. He later made full restitution for the losses.
In court, Chang represented himself and submitted a written mitigation plea, which was not read aloud. When asked if he wished to say anything, he said: “I just pray that I won’t go to jail. I really regret what I did.”
However, the judge noted that the charge carried a mandatory custodial sentence, adding that while the monetary loss was not substantial and restitution had been made, the repeated nature of the offences could not be ignored.
Chang could have faced up to 10 years in jail and a fine for cheating. As the charge was amalgamated, covering multiple similar offences, the maximum penalties could have been doubled.
Image via google
- Man Jailed for Cheating Giant Supermarket 26 Times Using Self-Checkout Trick
- Man Fined S$3,500 for Instagram story Claiming He Would Blow Up Plane
- Former SAF Captain Pleads Guilty to US$1.7 Million Cryptocurrency Theft
- 15-Year-Old Sent to Boys’ Home for Vaping, Assaults, and Theft
- Man Used Edited PayNow Screenshots 116 Times to Get Free Cigarettes, Jailed
