The man who posed as Housing & Development Board (HDB) contractor and allegedly punched a resident has been arrested for cheating 19 victims.

The Singapore Police Force (SPF) said they arrested a 56-year-old man for suspected involvement in a series of cheating cases.

The Police received several reports between March 2018 and March 2019 about a man who identified himself as a HDB-appointed contractor.

He purportedly cheated more than 19 victims into handing over deposits worth between S$100 and S$300 for "repair works".

Police investigation revealed that the man was neither appointed nor authorised by HDB.

The police arrested the man on April 1.

The man will be charged in court on April 3 with cheating under Section 420 of the Penal Code.

If he is found guilty, he faces a jail term of up to 10 years and is liable to a fine.

Cheating case went viral on Facebook

According to Stomp, allegedly fake contractor is the same man who punched a resident in Toa Payoh Central and was called out for his antics.

On March 23, a Toa Payoh resident, Isninhan Low, claimed the alleged conman identified himself as a HDB contractor spat and punched him after his neighbour was told to be wary of getting conned.

Low contacted the police, but the alleged conman managed to get away before the police arrived.

After Low's post went viral, many users shared their own experiences with the same conman.

The police has issued a reminder for all members of the public to be vigilant and to be wary of persons who may be posing as HDB-appointed contractors, government officials or staff from private companies.

Residents can demand verification details, such as staff passes, or call the agency or company when in doubt.

HDB InfoWEB has written about what to do to guard against errant contractors.

Top images via Facebook user Isninhan Low.