A 33-year-old Filipino woman admitted in court to using doctored PayNow screenshots to cheat restaurants and businesses into delivering food and services worth over S$9,000 (RM28,489) over a span of two years.
Santos-Tumalip Maria Monalyn Bagaporo pleaded guilty to four charges, including cheating and theft, with three more charges pending sentencing. Prosecutors described her actions as “flagrant and recalcitrant,” noting she repeatedly reoffended while on bail using the same fraudulent scheme.
Bagaporo began targeting Home of Seafood at Joo Chiat Place in May 2022, claiming to pay via PayNow. She manipulated transaction screenshots and sometimes altered account details to make it appear that payments were made from different sources. The restaurant processed her orders without verifying bank records, delivering food valued at around S$3,892 before the fraud was discovered in September 2023.
She later used the same tactic at Italian restaurant Baci Baci between June 2024 and May 2025, placing 24 orders worth approximately S$6,168 and arranging deliveries through Lalamove.
Bagaporo also admitted to stealing groceries worth S$739 from a Bedok Giant supermarket in November 2024 and used falsified PayNow slips to obtain salon vouchers, one worth S$381.50, before being caught.
The woman told investigators she committed the fraud to “order food for her friends and impress them.” She has since made restitution to some of the affected businesses.
Bagaporo has been in custody since September and is scheduled for sentencing later this week. Under Singapore law, cheating carries penalties of up to 10 years in jail, fines, or both.
