A 22-year-old Sri Lankan national, Rajadi Rajasinghe Manamendra Patabadilage Vishwa Madavi, was sentenced on 1 October to three months and two weeks in jail, along with a S$1,100 fine, for selling her bank account details that were later used in a scam involving impersonation of Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) personnel. If she fails to pay the fine, she will serve an additional three days in prison.
Rajadi pleaded guilty to abetting an unknown person by providing her DBS bank account login details for illegal use. She was charged on 17 September 2025 under the Computer Misuse Act. Her case is the first sentencing linked to a wave of SAF impersonation scams, where scammers posed as military personnel to place fake bulk food orders and deceive businesses.
In September, Rajadi, facing financial hardship, was introduced by friends to an individual—reportedly also from Sri Lanka—who offered to buy access to her bank account. She sold the login credentials for S$1,100.
Following the sale, over S$30,000 flowed through the account and was subsequently withdrawn. Among the victims was a 59-year-old restaurant owner from Karu’s Indian Banana Leaf Restaurant. On 2 September, the owner received a call from someone identifying himself as “Marcus” from Stagmont Camp, requesting a bulk order of 150 biryani meals worth S$2,325.
Marcus later claimed that procurement delays required the restaurant to purchase ready-to-eat meals from a third-party “distributor” named Kelvin. Believing the request to be legitimate, the restaurant owner transferred S$8,000 to Kelvin via PayNow, followed by another S$16,000 for an increased order. When the food was not delivered and Marcus failed to collect the biryani, the victim realised he had been scammed and lodged a police report.
Rajadi’s bank account was also used in a separate scam, receiving S$1,980 from a 48-year-old woman who believed she was sending money to a cousin in need, after receiving a fraudulent WhatsApp message.
On 4 September, police froze Rajadi’s DBS account, which held only S$89 by that time.
During court proceedings, prosecutors requested a jail term of between three and a half to four months and a fine equivalent to the amount Rajadi gained. Speaking through a Sinhalese interpreter, she told the court she acted out of desperation due to mounting debt and her mother’s medical condition. She said she had borrowed money from friends who began threatening her, leading her to sell her account details.
“I came here to study. I have disappointed my mother. Please give me a chance,” she pleaded.
The judge acknowledged her difficult circumstances but stressed the severity of scam-related crimes, which are increasingly common in Singapore.
Police confirmed receiving at least five reports related to similar scams since 4 September, involving a total of about S$32,000 in losses. In public advisories issued on 14 and 23 September, the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) clarified that no SAF or MINDEF personnel were involved and warned the public about the use of forged procurement documents by fraudsters.
Authorities urged individuals and businesses to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity to the police.
