A 31-year-old Indian-origin man, Thevendran Elan Goven, was sentenced to 23 months’ imprisonment on Thursday after pleading guilty to one count of cheating; two other similar charges were taken into consideration. Prosecutors told the court he continued to deceive the victim even after she had exhausted her funds.
The offences began in July 2021, when Thevendran advertised a PlayStation 4 (PS4) on Carousell, asking for a SGD150 deposit and promising delivery within seven days with the SGD150 balance to be paid on receipt. The victim, then 25, transferred the SGD150 deposit on July 24, 2021, and their communication moved from Carousell to WhatsApp.
Three days later he requested the remaining SGD150 and an extra SGD49 for PS4 games; she paid SGD199 but never received the console or games. Thevendran began calling her, and the two developed what the victim believed was a friendship. Between August and December 2021 he defrauded her on 48 separate occasions, obtaining more than SGD246,000 in total.
He told the victim he needed money for various urgent reasons — to fund a court case, pay a dental bill, settle a supplier, or treat his sick dog — but in fact he spent the funds on personal expenses and to clear gambling debts. By August 2021 he was aware the woman had received insurance and Central Provident Fund payouts after her mother’s death, and he continued to extract money from her even after she said she had given him all she had.
The scheme was uncovered when the victim’s father reported unexplained withdrawals from his bank account to the police. Thevendran later made partial restitution, returning SGD24,000 in July 2024 and SGD80,000 in June 2025.
At sentencing, District Judge Janet Wang noted the significant psychological harm and financial loss suffered by the victim. The case highlights risks of trust-based transactions and relationships formed through online marketplaces.
