Jail for man who ran fake charity scam tricking more than 12,600 victims into donating $106,000

SINGAPORE – Over a period of four years, a man collected more than $106,000 from donors who fell for his donation scam.

To carry out his ruse, he edited documents to mislead others into believing he was running a corporate social responsibility (CSR) programme for a company, with the intention of soliciting donations.

In all, he tricked more than 12,600 victims into making donations between January 2020 and June 2024.

The Straits Times understands no restitution has been made by the man.

On Nov 17, Lim Kah Kheng, 42, was sentenced to three years and 10 months in jail after pleading guilty to four counts of cheating.

A total of 11 similar charges were taken into consideration for his sentencing.

Charge sheets show that Lim had edited documents that bore the name of a company called A Nation of Love.

A Straits Times check on the Singapore business registry found a company with the same name, which had been incorporated in January 2021. The company’s licence was cancelled on March 23, 2024, due to non-renewal.

Among the donations Lim received was $3,203.90 from 480 people between Oct 15 and Dec 30 in 2020. Between Jan 2 and Dec 31 in 2021, he cheated 2,190 people of $17,860.45.

In 2022, he cheated 1,955 people of $15,649.95, and in 2023, he cheated 2,524 people of $21,028.55. He also cheated 2,960 people of $22,448.10 in the first six months of 2024.

In addition, Lim recruited seven other people to help him solicit for donations – deceiving them into thinking he was conducting a CSR programme for the company.

He admitted to intentionally misleading them into thinking the funds they had collected were for charity, while knowing that the money would go to him instead.

Lim was caught after a police report was made on June 24, 2024. The report said that a man had been going around knocking on doors and asking for donations in the vicinity of Bedok North.

He was arrested on the same day after his identity was established by officers.

In a Nov 17 statement, the police and the Office of the Commissioner of Charities said: “Under the guise of social entrepreneurship and charitable work, he recruited and misled seven individuals into believing they were participating in legitimate charitable activities, and ultimately deceived members of the public into making donations under false pretences.”

The statement also warned the public to remain alert to donation scams.

They should be more discerning and avoid the urge to donate immediately, and take their time to find out more about the cause to ensure the donation will go to the right recipients.

The police and the Office of the Commissioner of Charities warned that scammers frequently take advantage of real-life situations, such as crises or disasters, and pose as representatives of familiar, trusted organisations to manipulate individuals into making donations.

Those interested in donating should ask questions about the cause before giving, including who the beneficiary is, how the donations will be used, and how much of the donation will go to the beneficiary.

The public can verify the legitimacy of the cause by checking charity portal www.charities.gov.sg to see if the organisation is a registered charity in Singapore or a foreign fund-raising permit holder.