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Man charged with cheating victims out of more than $98,000 in Haj tour scam

The Singapore State Courts. (PHOTO: Dhany Osman / Yahoo News Singapore)
The Singapore State Courts. (PHOTO: Dhany Osman / Yahoo News Singapore)

SINGAPORE — A 60-year-old Singaporean man was handed 85 charges of cheating on Monday (3 August) for deceiving victims in a Haj tour scam.

Between July and August 2018, Mohd Ramlee AB Samad allegedly deceived victims into believing that places on a discounted Haj trip were available, causing them to hand over their passports or cash to a Fahrorazi Sohoi.

Ramlee is said to have duped the victims into handing more than $98,000 over non-existent Haj trips, said the Singapore Police Force in a press release on Monday (3 August).

Fahrorazi, who ran a tour agency then, was accused of cheating more than 80 people of nearly $100,000 in a Haj tour scam and charged on 17 August 2018. He has since been given a discharge not amounting to an acquittal over his cheating charge, but faces another charge under the Public Order Act. His case is currently undergoing a pre-trial conference.

Similarly for Ramlee, a police report was lodged on 15 August 2018 stating that 80 persons who had paid for a Haj tour did not receive confirmation of their flight and visa details. Ramlee was later arrested on 4 October 2018 for his involvement in the scam.

Ramlee will return to court on 31 August.

If convicted of cheating, Ramlee may be jailed up to three years, or fined, or both, on each count.

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