'It's a birthday present': Customer tries to sell fake Rolex for $40k, shop owner calls him out

This man was lucky not to leave a second-hand watch shop in handcuffs, after he tried selling his "birthday present" for $40,000.

In a TikTok video, he was seen strolling into Three Crowns Watches and Jewellery in Far East Plaza on Wednesday (May 17) afternoon.

With a cap and face mask on, the man told store owner Edmund Koh that he would like to sell his Rolex Daytona.

"It's a birthday present from my auntie," he said, adding that he was looking to sell it since he "doesn't wear watches".

Koh was seen inspecting the timepiece before telling the man that it was a fake.

"Don't show it to other store owners or I will call the police," the 63-year-old store owner warned the man.

[embed]https://www.tiktok.com/@bruceleekoh/video/7234167586689174786[/embed]

The video has since garnered over 25,000 views.

One netizen commented that he was baffled by the customer's "funny" back story, saying: "His aunty giving him a $40,000 watch as a birthday gift sounds too generous and untrue to me."

Others praised Koh for his discerning eye in spotting the fake watch.

Speaking to AsiaOne on Friday, Koh shared that he has seen more opportunists looking to try their luck at his store, and they appear at a higher frequency too.

He used to encounter one customer with fake watches every six months. But now, there are two such cases in a month.

The store owner, who has 40 years of experience inspecting watches, said: "Some of the latest fake watches look too real. It's scary."

He has to keep honing his craft in order to prevent being caught out by counterfeits, Koh added.

ALSO READ: Netizens puzzled after shop owner lets off man trying to sell him fake Audemars Piguet watch for $51k

chingshijie@asiaone.com