Imagine you’re mindlessly scrolling through Carousell, looking for some good steals to purchase when you see something familiar.
Hey! I have that same watch! you must have thought to yourself. However, as you scrutinise that listing you realised that the watch looks familiar because it is yours and you didn’t even list it.
The worst part is, the seller seemed to be from your own home.
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That’s the situation Yan Xiucheng was facing in July 2021.
Employer Posed As a Buyer to Buy Her Stolen Watch from Her FDW
It all started with 38-year-old Sixon Jenelyn Villaruel, Yan XiuCheng’s domestic worker. Jenelyn was in need of some cash so she decided to swipe some of her employee’s stuff and sell them off. One of the items that she stole is a watch that’s worth S$1,000.
After swiping the item, Jenelyn decided to list the watch on Carousell at half its original price. Unfortunately for her, the owner of the watch, Yan, chanced upon the listing.
At first, Yan did not think much of it but as she analysed the advertisement, she spotted some similarities:
- Seller’s photo looked like a photo in her domestic worker’s phone
- Seller’s name is “Jen” and her domestic worker’s name is Jenelyn
- The watch that was listed look like hers
Suspicious, Yan decided to search her house for the watch but it was gone. Thus, she decided to take drastic measures – pose as a buyer and meet up with the seller that evening at an MRT station. Yan even got the police on standby.
As 7pm came, the suspected domestic worker showed up at the meeting spot and was immediately ambushed by the police. The watch was also returned to the rightful owner.
She Stole About S$17,503 Worth of Goods
They soon found out that, that was not the first time the 38-year-old stole something from her employer. Between Mid-May and June of this year, Jenelyn stole cash from wallets and drawers, watches and even gold necklaces.
Over S$7,000 in cash were stolen on at least three separate occasions. The watches and gold necklaces she stole were not cheap as well. As mentioned, one of the watches was worth at least S$1,000.
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In total, she looted about S$17,503 worth of goods. Of that amount, she spent S$15,600.
Why Did She Swipe all These Valuables?
In May 2021, Jenelyn borrowed some cash from an illegal money lender. It is uncertain as to why she needed the money urgently but it could be due to her mother’s medical bills and her child’s asthma. Additionally, she was the sole breadwinner of her household as well.
The thing about borrowing money from an illegal money lender is, things are not as straightforward as they seemed. They may throw paint at your doorsteps demanding repayments or they may even order various food items for your family.
Jenelyn said that she would not have done this if she was not tricked by these illegal money lenders.
She was eventually sentenced to seven months behind bars.
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- Lawrence Wong: Many of Us Will End Up Catching the Virus
Featured Image: Daria Minaeva/ shutterstock.com (Image for illustration purpose only)
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