Man Jailed For Trying To Scam Watch Shop With Real Rolex
Dingus Tried to Scam Watch Shop With a Rolex That Was Actually Real
A man in Singapore is heading to jail after attempting to pull off a luxury watch scam that failed for a reason few would expect.
Authorities say Deepak Singh, 24, believed he had a fake Rolex and tried to use it to cheat a high-end watch retailer out of more valuable timepieces.
According to court documents, Singh had purchased a Rolex GMT Saru from an acquaintance for a mix of cash and a Cartier bracelet, believing he was getting a deal. However, after being told the watch might not be authentic, he decided to flip it anyway.
In November 2025, Singh traveled to Singapore with plans to sell the watch and turn a profit.
He entered a watch shop in a mall in Bencoolen and negotiated a deal with the store’s director. The two agreed on a price of about S$94,700.
Instead of taking cash, Singh asked to trade the watch for three other Rolex watches—a Daytona, a GMT, and a Submariner—worth roughly the same amount.
The shop agreed to the deal.
Singh then provided a digitally altered passport with a fake name and number to complete the transaction. Authorities say this was done to avoid taxes and potential criminal liability.
After completing the exchange, Singh left the store and ignored calls from the retailer, who later became suspicious about the watch’s authenticity.
The victim reported the incident to police.
Meanwhile, Singh booked a flight out of Singapore that same night, attempting to leave the country. He was arrested at Changi Airport before boarding.
Here’s where the story takes a turn.
Police sent the Rolex GMT Saru to a service center for authentication—and found that the watch was completely genuine.
Because of that, the case became what is known as an “impossible attempt.” Singh intended to cheat the victim, but the crime could not actually be completed because the item he believed was fake was, in fact, real.
Despite no financial loss to the victim, the court ruled that Singh had taken substantial steps toward committing fraud.
He was sentenced to seven months in jail after pleading guilty to one count of attempting to cheat. A second charge related to the altered passport was also taken into consideration.
Authorities noted that while no money was ultimately lost, the value involved and the deliberate actions taken justified the sentence.
