Singapore youth posed as sex worker online, cheated men of hundreds of dollars
A 20-year-old Singaporean pleaded guilty to cheating and money laundering after posing as a sex worker online and duping men of S$800. Shaun Oh Yan Zhe also allowed his bank account to be used to move S$34,675, later traced to a scam victim. He has repaid the victims, and prosecutors are seeking a report on his suitability for reformative training.
- At 19, Shaun Oh posed online as a female sex worker and cheated three men of S$800.
- He used Locanto ads and Telegram chats, collecting payments before blocking the victims.
- Oh admitted to targeting six or seven others, and surrendered S$1,470 to the State.
- In a separate incident, he gave his bank account details to a woman, leading to S$34,675 being moved — funds later traced to a scam victim.
- Court proceedings: On 16 Sept, now aged 20, Oh pleaded guilty to cheating and money laundering; prosecutors seek a reformative training suitability report.
A Singapore teenager posed as a sex worker online, luring men into paying for services that never materialised, before turning to another scheme that landed him in a money-laundering case.
Shaun Oh Yan Zhe was 19 when he began posting false advertisements on Locanto, a classifieds website, claiming to be a 19-year-old female sex worker.
Using the messaging app Telegram, he tricked at least three men into transferring money.
One man sent him S$550 (approximately US$428.20) on 1 July 2024, while another transferred S$100 (approximately US$77.85) the following month.
The Straits Times reported that Oh collected the money and promptly blocked them.
When caught, Oh admitted he had used the same ruse on six or seven other men.
He later returned S$1,470 (approximately US$1,144.46) to the State for those cases, though they were not included in the charges.
He has since repaid the three known victims their S$800 (approximately US$622.83) in losses.
On 16 September, now aged 20, Oh pleaded guilty to two counts of cheating and one of money laundering.
Three additional charges, including another cheating case, will be considered during sentencing.
The money-laundering charge stemmed from a separate incident in July 2024, when Oh was contacted by a woman identified only as “X” in court documents.
She offered him S$2,000 (approximately US$1,557.09) for access to his Singpass credentials and a newly opened bank account.
Oh complied, sharing his online banking details.
The account was later used to move S$34,675 (approximately US$26,995.98) , most of which was traced to a scam victim.
The funds were never recovered, and Oh said he was never paid.
Prosecutors have asked the court to assess whether Oh is suitable for reformative training, a sentencing option for young offenders.
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