Pedestrian scam - is this real or fabricated?

Received this e-mail.
With so much foreign workers in Singapore (some from the villages - having spent a fortune to come and work here), many will try to make money from unsuspecting Singaporeans and the insurance companies.


Is this real or fabricated?


Hi my dear friends,
I am very much still in shock by an unscrupulous SCAM I encountered earlier today. Yes, I have seen similar cases on TV drama but having experience it first hand personally was horrifying.

This morning, on the way to Tiong Bahru Market along Seng Poh Road, as I was preparing to turn into the carpark, I heard a loud bang coming from the back of my car. I quickly pulled my car along the side and saw a young man, early thirties sitting on the side of the road. He was wearing a red polo tee, I believe bearing a constructing company name.

I was puzzled how the back of my car could hit anyone when I was driving not at a quick speed preparing to turn into the car park. Nevertheless, I asked the man if he was hurt, I saw a few scratches on his knee. He started screaming, rang his work reported he was in an accident and could not go to work. Fortunately, I saw a GP clinic behind us, I offered him to see the GP together, he refused and said he preferred to see a government clinic. I said to him, let’s see the GP first, if need to the GP will refer us to the hospital, he refused fiercely, I offered to call for an ambulance instead, I offered to ring his boss to explain what happened and said to him we should ring the police to make a report. He started screaming and asking me to compensate him with money instead. I was at wit’s end, I asked if he could let me have his identification so that I could ring the police. I am pretty sure he is from the mainland, with his heavily accented mandarin, he insisted he is a local but said he misplaced his IC. I told him, even more so we should report to the police that he lost his identification?

At that time, I was very much in shock, I felt bad and was tempted to give him money but was afraid he might go to the cop and reported that I gave him money to pacify him. In no time I went to the coffee shop behind us and begged anyone what I should do if he refused to see a doctor or refused help?

One elderly couple came up to me and said they witnessed everything, they saw him, hit my car and fell to the ground, they insisted that I should call the police to protect myself. Another man said to me it’s a scam and told me to leave him alone.

At that time, the man was still on the ground asking for money, I told him I can’t give him money and I have decided to call the cops, I told him it’s better we have everything documented in a report. He left very quickly and shouted I was heartless after hitting someone and said he was in the worst of luck to have met me.
Seriously I felt very bad, during a situation like this, I was totally embarrassed with a crowd around us! In any case I rang the police to make a report and was asked to go to the police station later to make a statement. (BTW, I’m using this as my report to the police later.)

I wrote this just so to let everyone know and beware of such a SCAM. In such a terrorizing event, keep calm and best to report immediately to alert the police. What is becoming of Singapore?
Pam