# Man Allegedly Uses Magnet to Steal Pokémon Tin from Claw Machine Surveillance footage captures a customer using a magnet to manipulate a claw machine prize. - **Source:** [Mothership](https://mothership.sg) - **Published:** 2026-11-07 - **Topic:** [world](https://brifing.si/c/world) - **Original article:** - **On Brifing:** https://brifing.si/s/ec5b94c7-ca6e-4bc3-b498-36db8546f458 ## The Incident at Sunshine Plaza On November 5, at approximately 1:44pm, a man was recorded using a magnet to steal a Pokémon trading card tin from a claw machine at Kuclaw in Sunshine Plaza. The stolen item is valued at S$40. Surveillance footage shows the individual attempting to manipulate the machine's internal mechanics using the external object. ## Surveillance Footage Analysis The footage reveals the man glancing at the security camera before placing the magnet beside the machine. After an initial failed attempt, he successfully retrieved a prize while the machine's lights flickered. He continued playing for several rounds before leaving the premises with the item, demonstrating a calculated approach to the theft. ## Store Operator's Perspective Alvin, the store operator, identified the man as a frequent customer who often messaged him regarding prize claims or promotions. On the day of the incident, the man sent WhatsApp messages to Alvin's personal and business accounts around 1:35pm, but these messages were deleted shortly after, raising further suspicion regarding his actions. ## Unprecedented Method of Cheating Alvin noted that in his six years operating claw machines, he had never encountered a customer using a magnet to bypass the system. While previous issues involved stealing items from atop machines or other minor cheating, this specific method was entirely unexpected, leaving the operator confused by the man's risky behavior. ## Reputation and Risk Factors The operator expressed disbelief that a regular customer would risk their reputation for a S$40 item that they could easily afford to purchase. Alvin suggested that the man's confidence during the act implies he may have attempted or successfully executed similar methods elsewhere, indicating a potential pattern of behavior beyond this event. ## The Decision to Report Alvin initially waited two full days, hoping the customer would return to the shop to admit his wrongdoing and offer a second chance. When no contact was made and the man did not return to the premises, Alvin decided to lodge an official police report to address the theft and protect his business. ## Warning for Industry Operators The operator shared the incident as a warning to other claw machine business owners who might be unaware of this specific magnetic manipulation technique. He believes that publicizing the event is necessary to prevent similar thefts, as operators must remain vigilant against evolving methods used to compromise the integrity of their machines. ## Official Police Investigation In response to inquiries, the Singapore Police Force confirmed that a formal report has been lodged regarding the incident at the Bencoolen shop. Authorities are currently investigating the matter based on the evidence provided. The outcome of this case remains pending as officials review the surveillance footage and the reported details. ## Sources covering this story - https://mothership.sg/2026/11/man-allegedly-uses-magnet-to-steal-s40-pokemon-tin-from-claw-machine-in-bencoolen/ — --- _Summary written by Brifing from the original reporting. Copyright in the original article belongs to its publisher; read the full piece at the link above._