Five Malaysians from a renovation company who allegedly claimed to be HDB or town council contractors were charged yesterday with duping residents into giving them deposits for repair works.

The five - from Shinden General Contractor - each face between two and five charges involving sums of $300 to $830.

Khaw Ee Leong, 27, allegedly cheated a Potong Pasir resident of $200 on April 8 last year.

A second charge accuses him of scheming with Chong Sin Yu, 33, to cheat residents of Block 12, Lorong 7 Toa Payoh, and inducing a 64-year-old man into delivering $200 to Chong on May 9 last year.

Chong's five charges involve a total of $830. He is accused of also conspiring to cheat residents in Yishun Street 11 and Jalan Batu, as well as deceiving two women into giving him $10 and $200 respectively.

Ooi Chong Hee, 38, and Ng Huay Yin, 42, allegedly conspired to cheat a 76-year-old resident of Block 263, Waterloo Street, into believing that they were both contractors of the town council and inducing her to give $450 to Ng as deposit for repair works on Nov 14 last year.

Ooi is also said to have conned a resident in Hougang Street 11 into believing that the HDB would be changing a kitchen pipe and inducing her to hand over $300. He is also accused of deceiving another person of $200.

Phua Kok Seong, 26, is said to have conspired to cheat residents in Potong Pasir Avenue 1 and Serangoon Central.

He allegedly induced a 78-year-old man and a 59-year-old woman into giving him $300 each.

Khaw's case is fixed for a pre-trial conference on Aug 12 ,while the others will be back on July 30.