G
Gyuki
Guest
Dec 17, 2010
Old man conned in his own home
By Goh Shi Ting, Multimedia Journalist, RazorTV
An 80-year-old retiree, who only wants to be known as Mr Tan, lives in a 3-room flat in Toa Payoh. He practices an open-door policy, but never expected to attract unwanted visitors.
Three months ago, Mr Tan was conned of $150 cash by a middle-aged Chinese salesman who walked right into his living room without even knocking.
He then convinced Mr Tan that his kitchen ceiling was falling off and that he could fix it for $300.
After handing over the deposit of $150, Mr Tan felt that something was fishy and decided to call off the deal but the salesman could not be found.
Mr Tan belongs to the target group that the Consumers Association of Singapore (Case) wants to reach out to in their latest education campaign, Knowledge is Protection.
To increase awareness of fraudulent door-to-door transactions, Case will visit various heartland districts to set up booths at road shows.