SINGAPORE: An elderly man was allegedly scammed at a mixed rice stall in Redhill, prompting concerns about potential abuse of Singapore’s CDC voucher scheme meant to ease the cost of living for residents.
Since 13 May, all Singaporean households have received S$500 in Community Development Council (CDC) vouchers, aimed at helping with daily expenses, including food and groceries at participating merchants.
The vouchers can be claimed digitally or in paper form through community centres, making them accessible to the less tech-savvy, including seniors.
However, the system appears vulnerable to exploitation, as highlighted in a 5 August Reddit post by the elderly man’s child, who sought to warn others of a possible scam.
The incident was shared by his child on Reddit on 5 August to warn others about possible CDC voucher scams.
“My elderly father doesn’t know how to use a smartphone. So I got him his CDC vouchers in paper version from the community centre,” the user wrote.
A few days ago, the man went out alone for lunch and ordered a dish costing $6.50.
When he handed a $5 voucher to the cashier, he was told it was no longer valid as it had already been used.
After presenting a second voucher, he received the same response. The cashier then asked for a third voucher.
“At this point, my father knew something was not right. As he was alone and old, he couldn’t do anything to verify, so he decided to pay cash and walk away,” the Reddit user wrote.
Upon checking the CDC voucher account later, the user discovered that two transactions had been successfully processed at the same stall around the same time.
This meant the man ended up paying $16.50 for one mixed rice dish.
A police report was said to have been lodged, although the Reddit user expressed uncertainty about whether there was sufficient evidence for action to be taken.
According to the post, police officers allegedly indicated there have been many similar cases.
The user voiced concern that many elderly victims might not realise they have been scammed, as they do not know how to check their accounts and may dismiss the issue to avoid inconvenience.
“I feel I have to expose such scammers, otherwise more elderly people will fall victim,” the user added.
Redditors Slam Stall Over Alleged Scam
A Reddit post that gained over 2.9k upvotes sparked widespread criticism of the stall, with many accusing it of exploiting an elderly man.
Some called the act unethical, while others described it as criminal.
“Stall owners should be shamed publicly, and their licence should be suspended,” one user wrote.
Another said: “Stalls that do this need to be issued a hefty fine, something like 50 times their monthly rent.”
One commenter expressed disbelief, noting that hawkers risk prison and losing their business over a few dollars.
They added that theft and criminal breach of trust are offences the Singapore Police Force (SPF) actively pursues.
System Glitch or Scam?
Some users suggested the issue might be caused by a system glitch rather than an intentional scam.
One shared that a senior hawker once experienced CDC system delays.
After scanning a voucher without confirmation, the customer paid cash and left, only for the voucher to process later, causing double payment.
“Not saying no fraud involved in OP’s case, but more investigation is needed. We don’t know how robust the CDC system is on the merchant side,” the user wrote.
However, others disagreed, arguing that the cashier’s insistence on multiple vouchers seemed deliberate.
“If the system was slow, normally the seller will also scan and wait mah, where got ask for another voucher immediately? That sounds intentional,” one comment read.
Similar Case
Another Reddit user reported a similar experience at Bukit Batok West Hawker Centre near Le Quest, claiming they were double charged at a mixed rice stall.
They expressed concern as the area has many elderly customers.
“I have already reported through SPF e-services. I hope they really investigate this kind of unethical stall owners,” they wrote.
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