SINGAPORE – A scammer who needed money after losing heavily on online gambling hatched a plan to cheat people by pretending to sell luxury watches online.

Foo Jun Kang, 29, cheated more than 10 victims of over $156,000 in total after duping them into believing he had watches for sale.

On April 17, the Malaysian was sentenced to jail for two years and two months after he pleaded guilty to two counts of cheating involving more than $91,000. He has not made restitution to the two victims in these cases.

Four other changes were considered during sentencing.

In June 2023, Foo listed several luxury watches purportedly for sale on an online marketplace platform called Little Red Book.

Later that month, a 29-year-old man contacted him through the portal as he wanted to buy some watches.

Between June 29 and July 11, Foo offered him three Rolex timepieces worth more than $44,000 in total.

The victim, who was told that he would receive them by July 14, transferred the amount to Foo.

On Aug 19, the victim lodged a police report after he failed to receive his orders and Foo refused to refund the money.

By using a similar method, Foo cheated a 30-year-old woman of nearly $47,000 that year. She made a police report on Aug 24.

For each count of cheating, an offender can be jailed for up to 10 years and fined.