Man caught on camera trying to unlock Yishun resident's digital lock 3 times in 5 minutes

A 57-year-old man was sleeping at his home in Yishun when an alarm suddenly went off from his mobile application, which was connected to the digital lock at his flat's metal gate.

This occurred at around 4am on Oct. 23.

When the man, surnamed Fang (transliteration), walked towards the gate, he was shocked to see from his surveillance camera that a man was standing outside his flat, reported Shin Min Daily News.

According to Fang, the man allegedly loitered outside his flat for around five minutes, and he "bent down at least three times to enter passwords, attempting to unlock the gate".

However, when Fang went out of his flat to confront the man, the latter "immediately left the scene".

'Nothing valuable' placed outside Fang's flat

According to Shin Min, Fang lives on the higher floors of Block 259 Yishun Ring Road with his 85-year-old mother.

While Fang has stayed in the Housing and Development Board (HDB) block for 10 years, he has "never seen the man" who allegedly tried to unlock his digital lock.

Fang shared that the "suspicious-looking" man appeared to be in his 30s.

On the day of the incident, the man was dressed in a black t-shirt, with a black sleeve on his left arm, and carrying a bag on his shoulders.

It remained unclear why the man targeted Fang's flat, as Fang said there were only some plants outside.

"We did not place anything valuable outside," he added.

Fang lodged police report

Fang told Shin Min that he switched to a digital lock four months ago because he wanted to make it easier for his elderly mother to enter and leave the flat.

While his flat has a metal gate and another wooden door, Fang said he was worried about the safety of his mother when she is alone at home.

"I would lock both doors before going to bed at night. Hence, even if someone cracks our password, they can't open the wooden door. However, my mother doesn't lock the wooden door when she's at home," said Fang.

Fang had since lodged a police report, and he hoped that by publicising his experience, his neighbours would remain vigilant.

The Singapore Police Force confirmed with Shin Min that a police report had been lodged, and investigations are ongoing.

Not the first incident

The man outside Fang's flat was not the only stranger accused of trying to unlock a digital lock in Singapore.

In September 2024, a man, believed to be a local actor, was accused of breaking into a digital lock of an HDB flat in Telok Blangah.

However, he left without unlocking the flat door, said the resident of the affected unit.

Similarly, on Oct. 11 night, another man also allegedly tried to unlock a Sengkang resident's digital lock at the Rivervale Shores estate.

When the resident opened the wooden door from the inside, the man "acted as if he was at the wrong house".

Top image via Shin Min Daily News