Latest news with #Stomp
Straits Times
14 hours ago
- Health
- Straits Times
Toilet ceiling concrete falls on elderly man's head in Yishun, leaving him with over 10 stitches
A 65-year-old man was getting ready in his bathroom when chunks of concrete from the toilet ceiling fell on him without warning. Toilet ceiling concrete falls on elderly man's head in Yishun, leaving him with over 10 stitches A 65-year-old man was getting ready in his bathroom when chunks of concrete from the toilet ceiling fell on him without warning. His daughter Siti, a 34-year-old housewife, told Lianhe Zaobao that her father, stepmother and stepbrother live in a three-room HDB flat at Block 127 Yishun Street 11. The accident happened at around 4.30am on June 19, while the retiree was preparing for morning prayers. Suddenly, large pieces of concrete from the bathroom ceiling fell and struck him as he was sitting on the toilet. "My stepmother heard the noise and then heard my father calling for help, so she went to check," Siti said. "The toilet door was blocked by the debris, so she forcefully pushed the door open and found my father bleeding profusely." Immediately, Siti's stepmother notified her aunt, who lived close by. "She was terrified, my aunt helped to call the police," Siti recalled. "My father was sent to Tan Tock Seng Hospital for treatment. His health is not great in the first place, and this has made him worry even more." According to a Facebook post by Siti, her father suffered head, shoulder, and knee injuries. "His head needed over 10 stitches," it reads. "He is now in the hospital for observation, as he is also on blood-thinning medication. "The flat went through the Home Improvement Programme in 2018, and no recent renovations have been done by him or the neighbors above." The family later reported the incident to the Housing Board and to the police. "I'm sharing this so that other families with elderly parents living in older flats will be aware," Siti wrote. "Please check on their housing conditions. We never thought something like this could happen." According to the Housing Board, spalling concrete is a common issue for older buildings, especially in home areas with damp conditions, such as kitchens and toilets. It is the responsibility of owners to prevent and repair spalling concrete in their flats. Stomp has contacted the authorities for more info. Click here to contribute a story or submit it to our WhatsApp Get more of Stomp's latest updates by following us on:
Straits Times
16 hours ago
- Straits Times
Another Stomper receives scam call from fake SGH staff, urges more awareness for elderly
Another Stomper receives scam call from fake SGH staff, urges more awareness for elderly Welcome to Stomping Ground - a space where Stompers share reflections, personal essays and social commentaries that spark conversation and insight. Yet another person has come forward about receiving a suspicious call from someone claiming to be from Singapore General Hospital (SGH). Stomper GC wanted to share her own experience after reading an earlier Stomp report on how a 71-year-old retiree outsmarted a scammer claiming to be from SGH. The 69-year-old said she received a call on her landline on June 5 from a man speaking in Mandarin and claiming to be from SGH. "I kept asking him to speak in English, but he insisted that in Singapore, the majority can speak Mandarin," recounted the Stomper, who is semi-retired. "I told him, 'No, you called me, so you speak English'. "He was unable to so I raised my voice to tell him to stop asking me to speak Mandarin." Before hanging up, the caller made a remark in Mandarin: "这么激动干嘛" ("Why so worked up?"), which the Stomper called "a great joke." GC said she later contacted SGH's official hotline to check if similar scams had been reported and was told that the hospital was aware of such incidents. She was asked if she had shared any personal information with the scammer. "I told SGH that I did not give them the chance to ask me anything as I had insisted throughout that I wanted to communicate in English only," she said. "My objective in calling SGH was not just to check, but to urge them to raise more awareness among their patients. "Many elderly people at home, who may only speak Mandarin, are their patients and can easily fall prey to such scams." For more information on scams, members of the public can visit or call the ScamShield helpline at 1799. Have your say on Stomping Ground! Write in to us at stomp@ or WhatsApp 9384 3761. Click here to contribute a story or submit it to our WhatsApp Get more of Stomp's latest updates by following us on:
Straits Times
17 hours ago
- Straits Times
Vietnamese woman helped sister sell bank accounts to scammers, earning up to $700 apiece
Despite suspecting that the accounts would likely be used for illicit activities from the onset, Nguyen Lan Dung agreed to the arrangement. Andrew Wong The Straits Times June 19, 2025 Lured by the promise of money, a woman decided to take up her sister's offer to obtain bank accounts and cards in exchange for payment. Despite suspecting that the accounts would likely be used for illicit activities from the onset, Nguyen Lan Dung, 24, agreed to the arrangement. On June 19, the Vietnamese national was sentenced to 10 months' jail after pleading guilty to three charges under the Computer Misuse Act, and one under the Corruption, Drug Trafficking and Other Serious Crimes (Confiscation of Benefits) Act. Eleven charges of a similar nature were taken into consideration during the sentencing. Dung was also fined $1,700. Investigations revealed that after Dung agreed to the arrangement, she reached out to a man to say she knew people who would pay him for control of his bank account. Court documents do not reveal how investigations into Dung and her sister started. Sometime in March 2024, the man agreed and gave up his bank details and the corresponding physical ATM card. Dung handed over the card and login details to her sister and her sister's boyfriend, and was paid $700. Court documents stated that the man's bank account and ATM card were later found to be linked to extortion scams, and were used to transact a flow of scam proceeds. Under the arrangement, Dung would also act as the point of contact for other Vietnamese nationals who were willing to sell their bank accounts. She would earn between $500 and $700 for each bank account she helped to procure. Sometime in March 2024, she managed to obtain two different bank accounts from two Vietnamese nationals. Court documents do not reveal how Dung had managed to contact the two. Around the same period, Dung, along with her sister and her sister's boyfriend, arranged to sell 11 bank accounts to unknown persons. Dung's sister, Nguyen Huong Giang, remains on the run from Singapore. Click here to contribute a story or submit it to our WhatsApp Get more of Stomp's latest updates by following us on:
Straits Times
18 hours ago
- General
- Straits Times
Meet the Stomper, GrabFood rider and NParks volunteer who keeps Singapore's parks thriving
Meet the Stomper, GrabFood rider and NParks volunteer who keeps Singapore's parks thriving Have you ever walked through a park and wondered who takes care of these lush green spaces we enjoy every day? Well, National Parks Board volunteers, like Stomper Wencong, play a part in upkeeping the biodiversity in parks around Singapore. Stomper Wencong studied a horticulture course at Association for Persons with Special Needs (APSN) Delta Senior School, which sparked his passion for nature. After graduating this year, he realised he wanted to contribute to making Singapore's green spaces more beautiful and started volunteering with NParks. Wencong's volunteer work. PHOTO: STOMP He gave Stomp a run-down of what his role entails: "As a volunteer, I've been involved in landscape maintenance, which includes tasks like pruning plants, clearing leaves, and ensuring the overall aesthetic appeal of the parks. "Horticulture maintenance involves caring for plants, like watering, fertilising and propagating them. I've also been learning about resident gardening, which focuses on creating and maintaining gardens in residential areas." Wencong told Stomp that he works part-time as a GrabFood delivery rider. "Volunteering in landscape maintenance is just a hobby that I started this June. I volunteer for about an hour each week at Woodlands Waterfront Park," he added. Wencong is proud to be able to witness biodiversity thrive as a result of NParks volunteers' hard work. "My favourite part about volunteering is seeing the impact of my work and knowing that I'm helping to create a more beautiful environment for everyone to enjoy. "One memorable moment was when I saw the Asian Weaver Ants thriving in the park after we helped to create a safe habitat for them." Wencong encourages everyone to engage in horticulture activities, as it can improve mental well-being. View more photos in the gallery. Click here to contribute a story or submit it to our WhatsApp Get more of Stomp's latest updates by following us on:
Straits Times
3 days ago
- Straits Times
Graffiti scribbled on wall outside Boon Keng unit, 26-year-old man arrested for loanshark harassment
A 26-year-old man was arrested for his suspected involvement in a loanshark harassment case. The police said they were alerted to the case on June 17, at about 12.30am, where the main gate of a residential unit along Upper Boon Keng Road was secured with a bicycle lock. The wall beside the unit was also scribbled with loanshark-related graffiti. Through follow-up investigations and with the aid of images from police cameras, officers from Bedok Police Division and Police Operations Command Centre established the man's identity and arrested him within 12 hours of the report. A mobile phone, two bicycle locks, and two red markers were seized as case exhibits. The man will be charged in court on June 18 under the Moneylenders Act 2008. For first-time offenders, the offence of loanshark harassment carries a fine between $5,000 and $50,000, with a prison term of up to five years, and up to six strokes of the cane. The police said they have zero tolerance for loanshark harassment activities. Those who deliberately vandalise properties or cause annoyance and disruption to public safety and security will be dealt with severely in accordance with the law. Members of the public are advised to stay away from loansharks and not work with or assist them in any way. Call the police at '999' if you suspect or know of anyone who could be involved in loansharking activities. Click here to contribute a story or submit it to our WhatsApp Get more of Stomp's latest updates by following us on:
