Mindef warns of bulk order scams as bakery latest to be hit by 'SAF official'

The Ministry of Defence (Mindef) has warned the public about fraudulent bulk orders made by individuals claiming to be Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) personnel.

In a Facebook post on Sept 14, Mindef said that it has been made aware of seven such cases and has not found any evidence that the individuals involved are affiliated with the SAF.

It said the ministry has lodged police reports regarding the matter.

"We urge the public, including businesses, to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity to the police," it said.

"The SAF takes a serious view of this," Mindef added.

This comes after three cases of alleged bulk order scams were reported in a week.

In the latest case, Breaditation Bakery was affected when a man claiming to be an army officer placed a $2,000 order and disappeared without a trace, leaving the owner scrambling to sell the baked goods before they went to waste.

The Desker Road bakery, which sells sourdough bread, pastries and filled buns, took to Instagram on Sept 13 to warn followers of the alleged bulk order scam.

In a post at around 5.30pm that day, the bakery said that the alleged scammer, named Gordon and claiming to be from Bedok Camp, had failed to collect the order.

To salvage the goods, it offered an unspecified number of "mystery boxes" of assorted pastries and buns for $30 each. By 8.30pm on the same day, all the boxes had been sold. Breaditation Bakery has over 1,000 followers on Instagram, where it frequently posts updates and appeals for support.

On Sept 9, Muhammad Shazain Faiha Muslim Food Paradise, a hawker stall in Tiong Bahru Market, faced a similar situation. The stall took to Facebook to share its predicament and appealed to followers to help purchase the items.

In the post, the hawker said a person claiming to be from the SAF ordered 150 packets of chicken and mutton biryani and bottles of mineral water, asking for extra meat and rice, but the order went uncollected.

Some customers later bought the biryani which was offered at a discounted price, helping the hawker recover part of the loss. Mindef confirmed in a Facebook post on Sept 10 that the individuals were not affiliated with the SAF.

On Sept 8, Kiki Florist received a large order of 150 small bouquets and four extra-large bouquets amounting to $3,820, from a buyer claiming to be from an army camp's logistics team.

The order, due on Sept 10, was too large for the florist's two-person team to fulfil in time. The florist and buyer eventually agreed on 50 small bouquets, to be paid for with $1,100 in cash and no down payment.

When Sept 10 came and the mysterious buyer never turned up, the florist managed to sell off the 50 bouquets at a discounted rate of about $800, making a modest profit of $200.

Police have warned that fake bulk orders are on the rise, with losses totalling at least $52,000 since May. Scammers often impersonate teachers, school staff, or government personnel, requesting large or unusual orders and directing businesses to fake suppliers.

Police advise verifying buyers independently, avoiding advance payments or deposits to new suppliers, and paying only for delivered goods.

The Straits Times has contacted the police and Breaditation Bakery for comment.