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A 26-year-old Indian national who first came to Singapore to study in 2018 pleaded guilty to three counts of dealing with the benefit of criminal conduct involving more than S$26,000 and was jailed for nine weeks after being traced to three fraud victims in the United States. .
In exchange for at least S$100, Bhambri Kunal withdrew cash from a Singapore bank account, which was later traced to three fraud victims in the United States.
Bhambri was sentenced on Wednesday, straits times reports.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Seah Ee Wei said that between February 2021 and March 2021, Singapore’s Ministry of Commerce received information about fraudulent transfers involving three US victims.
The first victim, Kay Kovaleski, filed a report with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in her country on February 10, 2021. She was tricked into transferring US$29,500 (S$39,000, according to court documents) to a man named Rahul Kumar.
Thirteen days later, a second victim, Kimberly Lynn Mole, told the Santa Maria, California Police Department that she had been tricked into wire-wiring $32,620 to a Singapore bank account belonging to Brar Vishavjeet.
The third victim, Thomas Sabatino, filed a report with the Singapore Police on March 19, 2021, alleging that he was tricked into wire transfering US$46,000 to a Singapore bank account linked to Lakhwinder Singh.
The DPP said: “Kovaleski transferred funds induced by false representations and she must refund the erroneous funds sent to her for computer installation services…. Mole transferred money induced by false representations.
“Sabatino was induced to relinquish control of his computer after being induced by false statements because he had to return an excess refund for a technical support contract sent to him. The perpetrator then used the control to make an unauthorized wire transfer ’” Court documents do not say how they found out they were victims of the ruse.
Defense counsel SS Dhillon said Bhambri, meanwhile, had befriended three Indian nationals, Rahul, Simar and Nayak Isha.
In early 2021, Rahul and Simar asked Bhambri to help them withdraw money from local bank accounts using ATM cards, the lawyer added. Bhambri agreed to help them.
Between Feb 9 and March 3, 2021, he withdrew more than S$26,000 from bank accounts that did not belong to him.
Afterwards, he handed over the cash to Rahul, Simal and Nayak Isha. Court documents did not disclose their whereabouts.
The money was later determined to be part of ill-gotten gains from U.S. fraud victims.
The DPP told the court, “(Bhambri) … did not check the name on the account before withdrawing the money. He admitted knowing that withdrawing money from other people’s bank accounts was wrong and illegal, but continued to do so.” On Wednesday, Dhillon said he The client of was summoned to investigate on April 27, 2021.
“(Bhambri) met the wrong people and fell prey to con artists who took advantage of his debonair and humble nature,” straits times The defense attorney was quoted as saying.
Dhillon also said his client regretted his actions and was not behind the crimes.
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