Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam said on April 13, 2020 that the government has been looking into some cases of allegedly fraudulent Covid-19 Temporary Relief Fund (TRF) claims.
Heavy jail sentence possible for those who cheated
Action will be taken against those who cheated the system, said Shanmugam, according to CNA.
"I've told the police: Investigate, and if this is cheating, it carries a heavy jail sentence. I think we have to send that message," the minister said to reporters on April 13.
The one-off cash assistance of S$500 is meant for those who have lost their jobs or face a 30 per cent loss of income due to Covid-19, and help with basic living expenses, according to the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF).
Shanmugam added that it is still premature to give an update on the exact number of cases under investigation, but that it is a small minority.
According to the Straits Times, Shanmugam said:
"Most people apply on (a legitimate basis), and they do need the money. And that's how this is intended to work. (But) we are going after a small number who are taking advantage, because if we don't, that will encourage others to try."
While one can be jailed up to 10 years and be fined for a cheating offence, he also added that the authorities are unlikely to take action against those who have returned the money.
On April 12, MSF and the police released a joint statement saying that they were alerted to a possible case of abuse of the TRF, after an Internet user made an online post, claiming that he was able to obtain the TRF aid without any documents and that the system was “so simple to cheat”.
The police have identified a 41-year-old Singaporean man, and investigations are ongoing.
Man boasted on HardWareZone forum about abusing TRF
Previously, an online user, Vince5877, took to HardwareZone forum to post about the experience of receiving S$500 from the TRF despite not having offered any documents.
In the post, the user attached a screenshot of what appeared to be an email from DBS bank, which said, "You have received SGD 500.00 from PEOPLE'S ASSOCIATION to your account via PayNow."
In a Facebook post, the Minister for Social and Family Development, Desmond Lee, addressed the original forum post by Vince5877, and said that the government agencies involved have made the application for the TRF "more flexible and responsive".
Referring to the screenshot, Lee said that "a very small number of people are taking advantage of the schemes, or encouraging others who do not need help to try to “cheat” the system".
He emphasised that those who "cheat" the system are doing so at the "expense of many Singaporeans who are in genuine crisis" and that the abuse disheartened him and his colleagues.
He ended the post by mentioning that the current priority is to disburse the TRF and other help schemes and any reports of abuse might be dealt with at a later date by the Minister of Home Affairs, K. Shanmugam, and his officers and "to have a chat" with those who abuse the system.
Photo via Desmond Lee/FB