SINGAPORE - A woman cheated her uncle of more than $800,000 after claiming that she needed the money for so-called "lawyer fees" and "work expenses".

To make her lies more believable, Pricilla Yun Sin Mun also showed him forged documents as well as bogus e-mail correspondence purportedly from important people.

She used names like Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat, Minister for Law and Home Affairs K. Shanmugam and Minister for Trade and Industry Chan Chun Sing.

The 32-year-old Singaporean, who is currently in remand, was sentenced on Monday (April 26) to 5½ years' jail and a fine of $2,000 after she pleaded guilty to a cheating charge involving more than $500,000.

She also admitted to one count each of forgery and giving false information to a police officer. Two other charges, including a second count of cheating linked to the remaining amount, were considered during sentencing.

The court heard that Pricilla Yun had approached her uncle - Mr Yun Hong Sun, 58 - for financial assistance in May 2018.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Zhou Yihong said: "She told the complainant that she was facing cash flow issues associated with her job... and ostensibly needed to pay for upfront expenses for her company's work event in Korea and Malaysia."

Pricilla Yun was working for a hotel at that point.

"The accused claimed that this was on the request of her supervisor 'Lily', and that she wanted to demonstrate her dedication to her job," added the DPP.

Mr Yun transferred $3,000 to his niece's bank account on May 23 that year.

From then until October 2019, Pricilla Yun continued asking her uncle for money and spun a web of lies to justify her requests.

Some time in December 2018, she lied to him that the police had initiated investigations against "Lily" and another fictitious colleague for embezzlement of company funds.

She also lied that the State Courts had called her up to testify against the pair.

Continuing to spin her web of deceit, Pricilla Yun then told her uncle that she needed to pay a lawyer his fees.

She sent Mr Yun forged court documents over messaging platform WhatsApp and he transferred the monies to her.

She also told her uncle that she would repay him once she wins the case and when the purported court fees are refunded to her.

On March 18, 2019, Pricilla Yun sent her uncle another WhatsApp message, stating she had been discharged from the purported court case and would be refunded more than $200,000.

But the following month, she falsely told Mr Yun that she did not receive the monies as they were supposedly "stuck" in a bank.

He advised her to lodge a police report against the bank over the so-called "mismanagement of funds" and she later showed him two forged letters from the police, as "proof" that she had done so.

DPP Zhou said: "The accused then provided the complainant with forged documents and letters as well as false e-mail correspondence to/from the Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat, and various other ministers to substantiate her claims."

Mr Yun finally sensed that something was amiss in October 2019 and decided to personally accompany his niece to a neighbourhood police post so that she could file a report on her purported claims.

Undeterred, Pricilla Yun continued with her lies and gave false information to a police officer. Officers then investigated the case as a result.

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