Serial conman cheated 10 women, including sex workers, of over $72k

A serial conman, who was given seven years' corrective training in 2013 for cheating multiple women, continued to dupe 10 more of over $72,000 after he was released from prison in 2020.

Tan Chip Huat, 49, targeted his latest victims from January to August last year, and they included at least four sex workers whom he failed to pay after having unprotected sex.

He stated on online classifieds website Locanto that he was looking for a "sugar baby" and claimed to be working in the finance industry, earning about $60,000 a month. Tan was, in fact, a former cleaner who drew an average monthly salary of less than $2,000.

On Monday, he pleaded guilty to seven charges for offences including cheating involving five victims and some $46,000.

The judge has called for a report to assess his suitability for another round of corrective training. The punishment is reserved for repeat offenders and does not offer the usual one-third remission for good behaviour.

Among Tan's victims were three 17-year-olds who knew one another. On Jan 4 last year, he got to know his first victim after the student responded to his Locanto post.

Tan claimed that he was willing to sponsor her tuition fees at an arts school, amounting to $20,000, in exchange for sexual services. They met the next day and had unprotected sex.

Before checking out, Tan promised to hand her $10,000 first and even convinced her to loan him $400 after he claimed to have insufficient cash on him. The promised monies never materialised, the court heard.

Later that month, he asked to meet the teenager again but she was unavailable. She introduced him to a sales promoter who agreed to have sex with him in exchange for $1,000.

Tan met her and they had unprotected sex. Similarly, he failed to pay this second victim.

According to the first victim, Tan told the student that he would withhold her payment unless another person could keep him company.

She panicked and approached the third victim, her close friend, who was working as a social escort then. Tan had sex with the third victim on Jan 13 last year but did not give her the promised $3,000.

By using a similar method, he cheated a fourth victim, a 23-year-old freelance social escort, of $10,000 in July last year.

In an unrelated case, Tan met a 25-year-old woman and cheated her of over $11,000. He used her credit card to buy items, including iPhones.

Tan will be sentenced next month.