Indian-Origin Man Cheats Singapore Woman With Fake PS4 Games Deal, Jailed for Rs 1.6 Crore Scam

Last Updated:February 06, 2026, 15:06 IST

Prosecutors told the court that the Indian-origin man continued to deceive the victim even after exhausting all her funds.

A Singapore court has sentenced an Indian-origin man to 23 months in prison for cheating a woman he met on an online marketplace, swindling her of more than Rs 1.6 crore (SGD 268,000) over several months.

Thevendran Elan Goven, 31, was convicted on Thursday after pleading guilty to one count of cheating, with two other similar charges taken into consideration, according to The Straits Times.

Prosecutors told the court that he continued to deceive the victim even after exhausting all her funds.

The woman was 25 years old at the time of the offences. The case began in July 2021, when Thevendran posted an advertisement on Carousell offering to sell a PlayStation 4.

After the victim expressed interest, he told her the console would be delivered within a week if she paid a deposit of SGD 150, with the balance payable upon delivery.

The victim transferred the deposit on July 24, 2021. Their conversations later moved from Carousell to WhatsApp, where Thevendran asked her to pay the remaining amount for the console, despite not delivering it, and an additional sum for PS4 games.

She complied, transferring SGD 199, but never received the items.

Over time, Thevendran built what the victim believed was a friendship, communicating frequently through messages and calls.

Between August and December 2021, he exploited this trust, cheating her on 48 occasions and extracting more than SGD 246,000.

He fabricated multiple reasons to seek money, claiming he needed funds for a court case, dental treatment, supplier payments and even veterinary care for a sick dog.

Prosecutors said the money was instead used for his personal expenses and to clear gambling debts.

By August 2021, Thevendran became aware that the victim had received insurance and Central Provident Fund payouts following her mother’s death.

Despite being told that she had no money left, he continued to pressure and deceive her into transferring funds.

The fraud was uncovered when the victim’s father noticed unexplained withdrawals from his bank account and alerted the police.

During sentencing, the prosecution noted that Thevendran had made partial restitution, repaying SGD 24,000 in July 2024 and another SGD 80,000 in June 2025.

District Judge Janet Wang, while delivering the sentence, highlighted the severe financial loss and psychological trauma suffered by the victim

News world Indian-Origin Man Cheats Singapore Woman With Fake PS4 Games Deal, Jailed for Rs 1.6 Crore Scam

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