'Crazy how I've been cheated and lied to': Woman on friend buying $150k car using her personal details
Vishalini has never driven a car in Singapore before, let alone possess a driving license.
But records show that the 26-year-old, who works at a call centre, had committed three LTA offences this year, from parking to ERP (Electronic Road Pricing) violations.
In an interview with AsiaOne on Thursday (Aug 3), the woman said her friend had driven the car after using her personal details to buy it in March.
And now she's left "stressed and mentally affected" from this ongoing episode.
She said: "After I received those letters from LTA, I told them to stop doing this under my name.
"They paid [the $70 fines for each offence]. That's not a big amount, but these are still offences and charges under my name."
Friend impersonated her
When Vishalini's friend and her husband wanted to apply for a loan to purchase a second-hand Audi A5 Sportback last December, the woman thought that she could help as a guarantor.
After all, Vishalini and her friend had known each other for more than 10 years, since their secondary school days.
"I gave my personal details to my friend," Vishalini said, adding that they included her National Registration Identity Card (NRIC) number, home address and signature.
"But she (Vishalini's friend) took my details and [impersonated] me as the buyer.
"My friend even called the finance company and spoke to them like it's me," the woman said, adding that she only knew about this deception after the loan - for a seven years' tenure period at $1,600 a month - was approved in March.
According to the loan agreement seen by AsiaOne, the 2010 car was purchased for $146,000, with the loan amount set at $102,000.
Vishalini said her friend had also bought the second-hand car from the dealer by forging her personal details.
The woman said: "My friend needed me to use my SingPass account to transfer the car's ownership from the seller on the LTA website. That's when they told me the truth.
"I told [my friend and her husband] nicely that I can't agree to this, but they started saying that I'm complicating things and I'm putting the guarantors of the loan in trouble."
They promised to change ownership's details
Vishalini shared that she only relented in April after her friend promised that the car's ownership would be removed from her "after a few weeks".
But Vishalini said LTA records as of now show that she is still the owner of the car, adding that she's left ruing "being too nice" to her friend after the "betrayal".
Besides racking up LTA offences under her name, Vishalini shared that her friend also incurred late additional fees from the finance company for failing to pay the instalments on time.
"Imagine how my credit score is [affected] now because of them," the devastated woman said. "While they are enjoying the car."
Vishalini shared that she has since lodged a police report against her friend, but added that the latter also notified the police after she posted a TikTok video about her ordeal.
She said: "It's crazy how I've been cheated and lied to, and they are not even apologetic for what they did.
"I really wish to get out of this."
She declined to provide AsiaOne with her friend's contact, for fear of getting into trouble with her.
AsiaOne has contacted the police for more information.
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chingshijie@asiaone.com
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