Elderly man allegedly scammed of CDC vouchers at Redhill stall

An elderly man was supposedly scammed out of his CDC vouchers at a mixed rice stall in Redhill, in a case that has sparked outrage online and calls for stricter enforcement.

In a viral Reddit post shared on Aug 5, the victim's child recounted how their father, who does not use a smartphone, was issued hard copy CDC vouchers from a community centre.

While dining alone at a mixed rice stall, the elderly man handed over a $5 CDC voucher to pay for a $6.50 meal.

To his surprise, the stallholder claimed the voucher had already been used. The same thing happened with a second voucher. When the cashier asked for a third, the man grew suspicious and chose to pay the full amount in cash instead.

"When he told me about the incident, I checked his CDC voucher account and found the two transactions registered successfully at the same stall at around the same timing," the user wrote.

"So he paid $16.50 for a mixed rice dish."

They added that a police report has been filed, though they are unsure if there is sufficient evidence for further action.

Not an isolated case?

The post sparked calls from Redditors for tougher penalties against errant stallholders. Several also claimed similar incidents had happened to their elderly parents.

One shared: "This happened to my dad as well but for PayLah. He paid three times for a $5 noodle dish because they kept saying the payment didn't go through.

"When I checked his phone, all the transactions were successful."

Another commentor said: "There's no fault on the elderly at all. Poor souls. Shame on this stall."

Some suggested that public shaming and license suspensions may be necessary to deter such acts, while others urged caregivers to consider exchanging vouchers for cash to minimise risk for elderly users.

Vulnerable victims

The Redditor behind the post believes many elderly Singaporeans may be unaware that they have been duped, especially if they cannot check digital transactions.

"They are afraid of causing more inconvenience," the post read. "That's what my father told me initially. But I feel I have to expose such scammers, otherwise more elderly people will fall victim."

Under current CDC voucher guidelines, merchants are required to scan the QR codes or accept paper vouchers in exchange for goods and services, with transactions logged digitally.

It is unclear if the alleged abuse of the system in this case was due to technical error, deliberate misconduct, or a misunderstanding.

The New Paper has contacted the Singapore Police Force and the victim's child for comment.