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No mole, so they smell a rat
By Rennie Whang
The New Paper
Saturday, May 19, 2012
The man standing before them claimed to have an annual income of more than $100,000, but was looking for a $5,000 loan.
He also looked much older than the photo on his identity card, and unlike the IC photo, didn't have a mole on his chin.
So the employees at the credit company ran some checks - only to find that the man was an impostor.
Last Thursday, taxi driver Chong Chee Hiong, 37, was jailed 21 months for cheating by personation.
The IC he used belonged to Dr Elgin Tan.
Dr Tan, a director at James Tan Veterinary Centre, had left his wallet on a chair at a Marine Parade coffee shop in November last year.
It was picked up by Chong, who took Dr Tan's IC and driving licence before getting rid of the wallet.
Chong then concocted a plan to borrow money using Dr Tan's identity.
On Nov 11, he went to the CPF Service Centre at Bishan and used Dr Tan's IC to reset the latter's SingPass login password.
With that, he accessed Dr Tan's CPF contribution and revenue documents to get $12,500 in loans from three credit companies.
He then tried the same ruse at Monetium Credit at Golden Mile Tower on Nov 24, but was caught when alert employees there saw through his trick.
Mr Danny Lim, 28, a loan officer at Monetium Credit told The New Paper that Chong was smartly dressed in a long-sleeved shirt and pants, and looked calm when he visited the company.
At the reception, he was given a personal loan application form, which he filled in with details such as the type of property he owned.
But given the discrepancies between Chong's appearance and the picture in the IC, they smelled a rat.
So when he settled down to do the usual interview with the head of the credit department, Mr Daniel Koh, and Mr Lim, the two were on their guard.
Mr Lim said Chong claimed he had lost money on the stock market, and needed the $5,000 to tide over this difficult period.
Rare request
But it is rare to see someone with such a high income asking for a loan, Mr Lim told TNP.
Added Mr Koh: "We initially gave him the benefit of the doubt.
"Instinct told me, though, that something was not right."
They then tried to stall Chong for as long as they could.
Said Mr Lim: "We tried to buy some time, and gave him a longer interview."
As part of normal procedure, Mr Koh said he asked for Chong's CPF and revenue documents, and questioned him on his ability to pay.
A request for additional identification saw Chong producing Dr Tan's driving licence.
Following the five- to 10-minute interview, the two then told Chong he would have to wait half-an-hour for the paperwork to be processed - which was not true.
Said Mr Koh: "He was well-prepared. But when we told him to wait outside after the interview, I think he started to get a little worried.
"He kept looking around."
As Chong waited, the two Googled the name on the IC and tracked down the real Dr Tan. Mr Lim then called Dr Tan on his mobile phone.
The latter then rushed down to Monetium Credit.
In the meantime, Mr Koh called the police.
But Chong still persisted. According to Mr Koh, he insisted he was "Elgin Tan" even when the police questioned him, and cited Dr Tan's IC number.
It was only when the real Dr Tan showed up that Chong finally admitted he was lying.
Dr Tan, 34, who has been a director at the veterinary centre for over 10 years, told TNP: "I was quite amused to see him, he looked like an older version of yours truly.
"I'd been worried when my NRIC was missing, but didn't think something so drastic would take place."
He did not know his IC had been taken. He thought he had misplaced his wallet, which contained credit cards, his IC and driving licence, at home.
He said: "I was hoping to look for it."
Two weeks after Chong had taken his wallet, Dr Tan applied for a new one at the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority.
By then, Chong had already done the damage.
This article was first published in The New Paper.
