Jail for scammer who posed as medium, temple representative
Claiming he was a medium who could help her get rid of bad luck, a man duped a woman into giving him $5,000 last year.
This was nearly a year after he scammed two other victims.
He also sent an unsolicited picture of his genitals to a woman in a separate incident.
For these offences, Johnny Ang, 52, was sentenced to eight months' jail yesterday, after pleading guilty to three cheating-related charges and one count of intentionally causing distress to a woman via insulting communication.
Five other charges, including three other cheating-related ones, were taken into consideration by the court during sentencing.
Ang targeted two of his victims at their homes on Dec 16, 2019.
He went to the first victim's home and told the man he was a medium from religious organisation Yun Yin Dian Association and the Loyang Tua Pek Kong temple. He said he was collecting donations to help needy children.
Ang asked the victim to donate $20, and said the man would be blessed with fortune, wealth and good health if he did so.
After the man gave him the money, Ang requested a larger donation, and the victim handed over $200.
Ang then used a metal rod to scribble on the man's palm and told him his fortune. He also passed the victim a red packet containing Toto numbers.
Later that day, Ang approached the second victim, saying he was a temple representative and was collecting donations for a baby in urgent need of money for surgery.
The man gave him $2,000.
On Nov 6 last year, Ang asked the third victim for donations.
He said she would have a "big misfortune", meet with a traffic accident and die. Ang said he was a medium and would help her perform prayer rituals to get rid of her bad luck if she gave him $5,000. She later passed him the money.
In a separate incident on Oct 2, 2019, Ang messaged another woman via the Facebook Messenger app.
She did not know him.
As the victim dealt in e-commerce sales, she initially thought Ang wanted to purchase something, the court heard. But Ang asked the woman if she wanted to be friends with him. He sent her an unsolicited photo of his genitals the next day, before she blocked him on the app.
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