The 'apple scam' is not new in the annals of crimes of deception (cheating) in Singapore. About two years ago, the 'apple scam' was a hot news topic in Singapore.

Thanks to the protracted investigation and unflagging efforts of the 'men in blue', a group of foreign female perpetrators of this scam were expeditiously apprehended, charged in court and imprisoned.

Like any other 'lucrative crime', there are bound to be copycats. Hence, the 'apple scam" has once again reared its ugly head.

However, the 'apple scam' is a preventable crime, and as a volunteer under the umbrella of the National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC), my co-volunteers and I have conducted talks for senior citizens to advise them on how they can avoid falling prey to con-artistes like the perpetrators of the 'apple scam'.

Deploying more police officers on foot patrols in void decks of HDB heartlands is not the best solution in preventing the 'apple scam'.

The most important ingredients in preventing such preventable crimes are public-police partnership and the eradication of public apathy in reluctance to cooperate with the police in the solution of crimes.

If members of the public take the tagline that crime prevention is a shared responsibility seriously, then I believe that the crime rate in Singapore will decrease further.

Lionel De Souza