SINGAPORE - A retiree who posed as an officer from the National Environment Agency was jailed for six weeks on Wednesday, for cheating a stall owner.

Ng Kok Heng, 67, pleaded guilty to cheating stall owner Teo Chye Cheok, 48, of $300 by representing himself as an NEA officer at Bai Sheng food court in Woodlands Drive 50, on April 22 this year.

A district court heard that Ng found the victim's contact number from a newspaper classified advertisement and called him that day.

Claiming to be an NEA officer, he told the victim that NEA was looking for donations to help elderly people, as well as to help build an incense burner around the food court that the stall was located in.

The victim agreed to donate $300.

Later that afternoon, Ng went to the stall and collected the money from Mr Teo's helper. He issued a receipt and a letter from a Senior Citizens Health Care Centre that he had found in his home.

When the victim tried to call the number listed on the letter, it was invalid. Suspecting that he had been cheated, he called Ng the next day and told him that he would like to donate another $100.

When Ng turned up at the stall, the victim confronted him and called the police.

No restitution has been made.

Ng could have been jailed for up to five years and fined for cheating by personation.