Foreigners pay $39 a week for modified app that lets them work Singapore delivery jobs illegally

Four men were charged in a Singapore court on July 29 for allegedly selling foreigners access to a doctored version of the foodpanda app that let them bypass identity checks and work illegally as delivery riders. The men, aged 28 to 45, allegedly charged S$50 to S$120 (US$39 to US$93) a week for the software, along with instructions on installing it and accepting job assignments, police said in a statement issued July 28 and reported by The Straits Times.Riders on the platform must take a live selfie before logging on. Police said the modified app defeated that step by letting a user upload a stored photograph of the account holder, allowing foreigners to clear verification and operate accounts belonging to someone else.The four were arrested after police acted on information from the Ministry of Manpower. Each faces a charge of access with intent to commit cheating, an offense that carries a fine of up to S$50,000, imprisonment for up to 10 years, or both, according to Singapore Statutes Online.Police did not name the men or give their nationalities. Foodpanda riders get ready for deliveries outside a restaurant in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, July 8, 2020. Photo by Reuters foodpanda introduced the selfie requirement after footage of a confrontation with a suspected illegal rider circulated in March 2023, telling Mothership at the time that delivery partners must verify their identity before every shift and that failing to do so could lead to suspension or blacklisting.The Manpower Ministry told Parliament in September 2025 that it does not issue work passes to foreigners for platform work, making it illegal for them to enter platform work arrangements with operators or to impersonate local workers and use their accounts. Delivery companies may still outsource jobs to third-party logistics firms, which can employ foreigners holding valid passes under an ordinary employment relationship.Foreigners caught working without a valid pass face a fine of up to S$20,000, up to two years in jail and a permanent bar from working in Singapore, the ministry said.foodpanda, owned by Germany's Delivery Hero, is Singapore's second-largest food delivery service, with roughly 25% of app-based delivery value against GrabFood's 65%, according to Statista.