Woman who cheated 22 victims of $1.7 million jailed 10 years
Over seven years, she fleeced 22 victims of more than $1.7 million after lying to them that she needed money to obtain an inheritance from her late father or to get funds from a marriage annulment settlement with her Arab husband.
Aisha Pari Mohamed Ayub, a 55-year-old Singaporean, would weave elaborate tales involving an inheritance worth more than $20 million, drawing even a law firm into her web of deceit.
As part of her lies, Aisha claimed that she was unable to receive the inheritance as she had to pay declaration or transaction fees to Pakistani authorities.
Aisha was sentenced to 10 years’ jail in the State Courts on Tuesday (6 March) after she earlier pleaded guilty to 17 counts of cheating and one count each of forging a Subordinate Courts document and a letter from the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS). She faced a total of 381 counts for offences committed between 2010 and 2017.
In 2010, Aisha ran a shop at The Golden Landmark Mall selling Muslim clothing when she came to know an Aldebab, who placed her artwork for sale at Aisha’s shop.
Sometime in October that year, Aisha concocted a plan to deceive others by asking for money and promising to repay back them back with interest.
Aisha also used religious ideas to persuade her victims to part with their money, such as telling them they could make donation or bring their parents on pilgrimages with the extra money.
Aisha managed to convince Aldebab with her lies but as Aldebab was unable to assist, she referred her relatives and friends to Aisha.
She also managed to instigate one of her victims to forge documents by multiple public agencies and institutions – including OCBC bank statements – stating that she was entitled to huge sums of money and that gifts of various amounts were declared to a number of victims. She used the forged documents to further ensnare her victims.
As part of the deception, Aisha brought several victims to the vicinity of the Subordinate Courts – now known as State Courts – and the MAS to show that she was making the necessary applications to claim her sham inheritance.
Aisha even instructed a law firm about her alleged inheritance and requested the firm’s services to handle fund distribution.
Several victims also accompanied Aisha to the firm’s office more than 10 occasions. Aisha also issued cheques to the firm and to her victims. All the cheques bounced due to insufficient funds.
To maintain the deceit, Aisha prepared a “money luggage” secured by locks and security tape which she passed off as containing her cash, to victims. The luggage was in fact stuffed with heavy packing paper and wrapped with security tape which she obtained from a friend.
To elicit sympathy from her victims, she told them that she was suffering from Stage 3 cancer. Aisha also duped victims into thinking that she was entitled to receive money from the sale of her matrimonial home in Saudi Arabia arising from the annulment of her marriage.
Aisha was first arrested by the Commercial Affairs Department a year into her offences. After she was released on police bail, Aisha absconded and avoided the police by sleeping at East Coast Park, Changi Airport and her friends’ houses. She was arrested a second time in March 2017.
She scammed a total of $1,736,944 from 22 individuals who are aged between 50 and 84 years old.
Part of the money was used to fuel her gambling addiction while she also claimed to have handed a substantial amount to her ex-husband in Indonesia. No restitution to the victims has been made.
The prosecution described Aisha’s behaviour as “predatory” and “abhorrent”, seeking 10 years’ jail for her. Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Nicholas Lim Kah Hwee noted that the offences were also premeditated and deliberate.
Aisha’s lawyer, Danny Chua, said in mitigation that Aisha had been a victim of her ex-husband’s scam, which caused her to lose some $700,000. Aisha was also in debt due to her gambling habits, he added.
