Commissioner of Charities bar man from conducting fund-raising appeals following conviction

The Commissioner of Charities (COC) has barred Lim Kah Kheng from conducting any form of fund-raising for charitable, benevolent, or philanthropic purposes, with effect from 9 December 2025.

This prohibition follows the 42 year-old's conviction on 17 November 2025, when he was sentenced to 46 months’ imprisonment for four counts of cheating under Section 420 of the Penal Code 1871.

According to the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY), the sentencing also took into consideration eight additional cheating charges and three counts of theft in dwelling under Section 380 of the same Penal Code.

The case began on 24 June 2024, when the Singapore Police Force received a report about a man going door-to-door soliciting donations in the vicinity of Bedok North Street 3.

In a joint news release issued on 17 November by the Police and the Office of the Commissioner of Charities, authorities confirmed that officers had established the man's identity and arrested him on the same day. The operation was found to have targeted residential neighbourhoods.

Further investigations revealed that the man was Lim Kah Kheng, who had been orchestrating a donation scam from 28 January 2020 until the date of his arrest. Lim had produced counterfeit staff passes and fraudulent documents to lend legitimacy to the scheme.

“Under the guise of social entrepreneurship and charitable work, he recruited and misled seven individuals into believing they were participating in legitimate charitable activities, and ultimately deceived members of the public into making donations under false pretences,” the authorities stated.

Investigators eventually uncovered that Lim’s scam had defrauded more than 12,600 victims, with fraudulent donations exceeding S$106,000.

“Under the guise of social entrepreneurship and charitable work, he recruited and misled seven individuals into believing they were participating in legitimate charitable activities, and ultimately deceived members of the public into making donations under false pretences,” the authorities stated.

Police officers established Lim’s identity and arrested him on the same day the report was received. Investigators noted that the scam had specifically targeted residential neighbourhoods, capitalising on door-to-door interactions to solicit fraudulent donations.

In response to the conviction, the COC exercised its powers under Section 37(1) of the Charities Act 1994 to permanently prohibit Lim from organising or participating in any fund-raising activities related to charitable causes.

The COC emphasised that this decision was made to protect public interest, noting that Lim is no longer deemed a fit and proper person to administer or be associated with such appeals.

Desmond Chin, Commissioner of Charities, stated, “The Office of the Commissioner of Charities will not hesitate to take firm action against those who exploit the public’s trust and generosity for personal gain. While most fund-raising appeals are genuine, we encourage members of the public to ask for more details and ensure their donations are used for genuine charitable purposes.”

As part of its public advisory, the COC has urged members of the public to adopt a "Safer Giving" approach when approached by individuals or organisations soliciting donations.

Donors are encouraged to take three steps: Ask, Check, Give.

Firstly, the public should ask questions such as who the beneficiaries are, what the funds will be used for, and the proportion of donations going directly to the intended recipients or charitable organisations.

Secondly, they should check whether the fund-raising entity is a registered or exempt charity, or holds a foreign fund-raising permit. Verification can be done through multiple channels:

• The Charity Portal (www.charities.gov.sg)

• Scanning the QR code on official letters (linked to Charity Portal)

• Sending an SMS to 79777 in the format “FR [Organisation Name]”

• Contacting the Charities Unit hotline at 6337 6597

Finally, once satisfied with the legitimacy of the appeal, donors are advised to give with peace of mind.

The COC also warned against giving money or disclosing personal or financial information to individuals who cannot be verified or trusted.

Where uncertainty exists, the public is encouraged to make donations directly through the organisation’s official website.

Suspicious charitable fund-raising activity should be reported to the COC via email at [email protected]. Suspected cases of fraud or scams should be reported immediately to the Police.

Further details on secure donation practices can be found at go.gov.sg/safergiving.