SINGAPORE — After reading a warning that cautioned users of an online classified network about falling for scams offering sexual services, a polytechnic student hatched an idea to do just that.

Lee Chao Hunt, 19, created two fictitious accounts on Locanto, posing as women who were offering sexual services for money.

In total, he fleeced 16 victims of S$3,200.

On Monday (Jan 28), Lee pleaded guilty to five counts of cheating. Another 12 counts of similar offences were taken into consideration for sentencing.

District Judge May Mesenas ordered for a probation suitability report to be called and Lee is set to return to court on Feb 25.

The court heard that from December 2016, Lee created two fake user accounts on Locanto. He did so after creating his own account and coming across an advisory warning about scams.

Using the fake accounts, he put up listings on Locanto with titles such as “Finding for paid fwb (friends with benefits) — 19”.

The number at the end of the listings referred to the ages of the two fictitious women.

The victims contacted Lee through Locanto’s messaging platform and he exchanged WeChat contact details with them.

He continued the ruse on WeChat, creating individual accounts for the fictitious women. Posing as the women, he promised his victims that the women would meet them to have sexual intercourse on the condition that they transfer S$200 to his bank account.

“After receiving the money from the victims, (Lee) either ignored subsequent messages from the victims, or arranged meetings with them which he would not turn up for,” said Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Michelle Tay.

After scamming them, Lee muted and deleted the respective WeChat conversations from his phone.

He spent the money on cigarettes, alcohol and clothes, and patronised night clubs every weekend, the court heard. He came up with the scam because he needed the money to sustain this lifestyle.

On Dec 1, 2017, Lee realised his bank account was frozen in the course of investigations.

“Thinking that the bank had discovered his online scams, Lee panicked and deliberately tried to destroy all the evidence on his phone,” DPP Tay told the court. This included the Locanto and WeChat accounts.

Lee has since made full restitution to all his victims, the court was told.