Four men are due to be charged on Tuesday (10 November) over an alleged attempt to obtain more than S$6 million in mortgage loans by putting up another man’s home as security without his knowledge.
Police said on Monday (9 November) that the four men, aged 27 to 39, allegedly worked with a fifth man to seek the loans from two credit companies.
Homeowner Discovered an Unauthorised Loan Application
The homeowner made a police report on 3 April after discovering that someone had lodged a caveat against his property in connection with a loan application he hadn’t authorised. A caveat is a formal notice that someone claims a legal interest in a property.
Police said a 39-year-old man allegedly posed as the owner and used forged identity documents to sign loan papers and obtain documents relating to the property from law firms. A 36-year-old man allegedly helped arrange for a forged identity card to be made.
A 27-year-old man allegedly used false pretexts to get the owner out of the house twice. While the owner was away, a 29-year-old man allegedly helped valuers get into the home to assess what it was worth.
Lianhe Zaobao reported that the men approached the owner on the pretext of renting his home for a shoot.
The Charges the Four Men Are Due to Face
Officers from Bedok Police Division arrested the four men in an operation on 14 and 15 April and seized a forged identity document and mobile phones. Police said on 9 November that they were still looking for the fifth man.
The 27-year-old and the 39-year-old are each set to face two counts of abetment of cheating, which can include intentionally helping or encouraging someone to cheat. The 29-year-old is due to face one count of the same offence.
The 39-year-old is also set to face one count of possessing a forged identity card and three counts of passing off forged electronic records as genuine. The 36-year-old is due to face one count of abetting the unlawful issue of an identity card.
