SINGAPORE: A Singaporean man has turned to social media after discovering that a close friend of eight years secretly sold his luxury watch worth S$10,000 and blew all the money on illegal online gambling.
Sharing his story on Reddit’s r/askSingapore forum on Sunday (Nov 23), the man explained that because of his hectic work schedule, he often relied on this friend, who was unemployed, to help him sell items on Carousell. In return, he would give him a small commission for each successful sale.
The man also said the arrangement had always worked smoothly, even when the items were worth several thousand dollars. For that reason, he had no hesitation handing over something as valuable as a S$10,000 watch.
Unfortunately, this time everything went wrong. According to the man, his friend lied repeatedly, insisting the watch was still in his possession when it had already been sold. It was only after he “grilled” him that the truth finally came out.
“I only found out after confronting him, and he admitted everything. He kept the money and used it to gamble on illegal online sites. He lost all of it,” the man wrote.
“I also know he is not someone who can realistically pay the money back. He has no job, no stability, no discipline, and no education. He has never shown the ability to work consistently. So I know that expecting him to repay through work or effort is not realistic.”
Hoping to hear from others who had gone through similar situations, he asked the Reddit community what typically happens after filing a police report.
“How long does the investigation take? Do people usually get fines, short jail time, or something else for a first offence? Were you able to recover any money? How did the process go overall?” he wrote.
“I am not expecting the money back. I just want justice and some clarity, because this was someone I trusted like family.”
“He will go to jail and may be fined too.”
In the comments, many urged the man to gather every scrap of evidence he could find (screenshots, chat logs, etc.) and to prepare solid proof that the S$10,000 luxury watch belonged to him before heading straight to the police.
One user noted that because the item was worth five figures, the authorities would “most likely take the case very seriously.” They also explained that the process would not be quick:
“There will probably be a few rounds of questioning and requests for proof, and the investigation will probably take a few months. In Singapore, what you described is generally treated as criminal breach of trust (CBT) under Section 406 of the Penal Code.”
One user added, “If he’s convicted of [criminal breach of trust], he will go to jail and may be fined too.”
However, not everyone believed going through a full investigation was worth the emotional toll.
Several commenters argued that filing a report could drag on for months and drain his time, energy, and patience, all while offering almost no chance of recovering the money.
A few even suggested that as harsh as the situation is, the man might have to accept it as a very expensive lesson about trust.
“It’s painful, but there’s literally nothing you can do to make up your losses,” one user wrote. “Spending money to sue him doesn’t get back the money, since he’s jobless. I mean, you’ll spend time and money just for that? I would recommend you let go and treat this as a lesson.”
Another added, “Nothing you can do. Unfriend and move on, sadly.”
Criminal Breach of Trust
According to Singapore Legal Advice, Criminal Breach of Trust (CBT) refers to someone being entrusted with property and then dishonestly using or selling it without permission. Under Section 406 of the Penal Code, anyone convicted of criminal breach of trust can face up to seven years in prison, a fine, or both.
