Gambling addiction led to fraudulent hotel booking scheme, leaving 41 victims out of pocket.
A man, Toby Lai Jun Seng, was sentenced to six months and 20 days in jail after pleading guilty to charges related to a hotel booking scam. He deceived 41 people, taking over $21,000 between October 2021 and March 2022.
The Scheme and Its Execution
Lai, a 33-year-old man, was struggling with a gambling addiction and was deeply in debt. To pay off his debts, he decided to run a scam by offering discounted hotel bookings at Marina Bay Sands (MBS) and Resorts World Sentosa. He advertised these deals on Carousell, an online marketplace, where buyers were lured in with promises of discounted rates.
Once buyers contacted him, Lai made the bookings online, instructing them to pay shortly before their scheduled stays. He then forwarded them the booking confirmations, directing them to transfer payment to his bank accounts. Lai intended to use the money from new bookings to pay for previous orders but failed to fulfill the bookings when the demand outstripped his ability to deliver.
The Scam’s Unraveling
By March 2022, Lai had received so many bookings that he realized he could not fulfill them all. Despite knowing this, he continued to take more money, defrauding a total of 34 victims in that month alone. The amounts transferred ranged from $250 to $1,200 for bookings that were never honored.
The authorities were alerted, and victims filed police reports. Lai was arrested on March 30, 2022, and charged the following day.
Legal Proceedings and Sentencing
Lai was charged with three counts of criminal breach of trust and seven charges of cheating. Deputy Public Prosecutor Lee Zu Zhao argued for a jail sentence between eight to 14 months, citing similar cases of online scams. Lai’s defense lawyer, Derek Kang, requested a lighter sentence of five months, citing his client’s cooperation with the authorities and his lack of a criminal record.
Lai has since refunded 33 victims a total of $17,335, though the authorities continue to investigate the matter further.
