Targeted by cheats, those with special needs pay the price

Hard to detect crimes involving victims with mild disabilities; cases may be under-reported

Jane (not her real name), who has mild intellectual disability, was duped into signing up for an expensive mobile phone plan for a woman who took the phone and left Jane to pay for the contract of $78.88 per month. ST PHOTO: ONG WEE JIN
Jane (not her real name), who has mild intellectual disability, was duped into signing up for an expensive mobile phone plan for a woman who took the phone and left Jane to pay for the contract of $78.88 per month. ST PHOTO: ONG WEE JIN
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Two young women walked into a telco shop and one signed up for an expensive phone plan.

However, she was using the identity card of her companion - who has mild intellectual disability - before absconding with the phone and leaving the other woman to pay for the contract of $78.88 a month.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on October 15, 2019, with the headline Targeted by cheats, those with special needs pay the price. Subscribe