SINGAPORE – A teenager cheated five people of $580 in total after promising to sell them surgical face masks even though she had none in stock and had no intention to deliver any.

Nur Atiena Mohamed Asidi, 19, pleaded guilty on Tuesday (April 14) to two cheating charges involving two victims and $350 in total.

The remaining cheating charges involving three people and $230 will be considered during sentencing.

The Singaporean teenager has become the first person to plead guilty to cheating offences involving face masks during this current coronavirus outbreak.

Others like Daryl Cheong Zhi Yong, 28, are facing similar charges and their cases are still pending. He was charged on Feb 15 with cheating a man of $175,000.

In Nur’s case, she had used her account on online marketplace Carousell to create an advertisement, claiming that she was selling surgical face masks.

One of the victims contacted Nur on Feb 18 and told the teenager that she wanted to buy 45 boxes of such masks.

Nur lied to the woman, claiming that she had available stock for the items and said that she could deliver them by Feb 20. Nur then asked the victim transfer $100 to a bank account as a “deposit”.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Michelle Tay told District Judge Eddy Tham: “The accused knew that she had no available stock of surgical face masks and she never intended to deliver the surgical face masks to (the victim).

The victim did as she was told and Nur became uncontactable soon after.

It turned out that the bank account belonged to another Carousell seller from whom Nur had agreed to buy a pair of Nike shoes.

The DPP added: “The accused deliberately searched for items being sold on Carousell for $100… The accused purchased the Nike shoes from the… seller for $100 and instructed (the victim) to transfer the $100 deposit to the seller.

“This was done by the accused in order to realise the fruits of her crime and at the same time conceal her identity. The accused received the Nike shoes sometime later by parcel delivery.”

Using a similar method, Nur cheated another woman of $250 in February. Both victims alerted the police later that month.

Nur had claimed that she used $340 of the cash to buy milk powder, food and nappies for her daughter who is now seven months old. To date, the teenager has made a restitution of $50.

Nur, who is unrepresented, pleaded for leniency on Tuesday. She told Judge Tham that a friend is now taking care of her daughter and the child’s father is staying elsewhere. It was not stated if she is married to the child’s father.

Judge Tham has called for a report to assess Nur’s suitability for a probation and she was offered bail of $5,000. She will be sentenced on May 27.

For each count of cheating, an offender can be jailed for up to 10 years and fined.

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