By Deborah Lau
A car salesman from Singapore, Lim Wei Qiang, has been sentenced to 25 months in jail after being convicted for his involvement in a fraudulent scheme in which he sold a client’s Porsche without consent and used the proceeds to purchase a house in Bangkok.
Lim, 40, pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including two counts of cheating by personation, one count of criminal breach of trust, and one count of removing the proceeds of crime from Singapore’s jurisdiction. Additional charges were also taken into account during sentencing.
The Fraudulent Scheme
The fraud took place in late 2017 when Lim, employed at SG Carline, sold a Porsche Cayenne 3.6L to a Swiss client in 2016. The victim had previously bought another vehicle through Lim and returned to him in November 2017 seeking assistance for a faulty headlight on the Porsche. Lim took advantage of the opportunity by falsely claiming that he could use some service credits from another car sale to repair the vehicle.
The car salesman tricked the Swiss man into handing over both his Porsche and identification card under the pretense of providing free servicing. After obtaining the vehicle, Lim contacted a manager at a used car dealer, Sportsway Auto Trading, and arranged for the sale of the Porsche at a discounted price of S$53,454.
The Escalating Fraud
Lim presented the client’s identification card at the Land Transport Authority (LTA) to facilitate the transfer of ownership of the car, falsely representing himself as the rightful owner. With the transfer successfully completed, Lim took the Porsche and the S$53,454 cheque from Sportsway, cashed it, and flew to Bangkok the same day.
In Thailand, Lim used the proceeds to purchase a house, fully intending to conceal his actions. Meanwhile, the Porsche was eventually seized and sold to 1 Auto Co., which intended to export the vehicle.
Arrest and Bail Evasion
Lim returned to Singapore in 2019 and was arrested for the fraud. However, after skipping bail, he managed to evade authorities and worked as a Grab driver under his brother-in-law’s identity until his final capture in March 2024.
The Singaporean authorities have yet to recover the full amount of the proceeds from the crime, and Lim has made no restitution to the victim for the misappropriated vehicle.
The case highlights the extent to which Lim went to deceive his client and the lengths he took to avoid the law after the crime was committed. The conviction serves as a warning about the seriousness of fraud and identity theft, with Lim now facing significant jail time for his actions.