A MAN who preyed on elderly women and tricked them into giving him their jewellery has been arrested.

The 53-year-old is said to have conned at least 50 elderly women into handing over their jewellery to him.

He would usually approach the elderly victims and strike up a conversation, claiming that he used to be their neighbour.

He would then talk his way into making these women part with their valuables by promising that he would exchange them for higher valued ones.

After taking their jewellery, the elderly victims would not see him or their jewellery again.

In all, he is believed to have used this ruse to trick more than 50 elderly women to give him over $50,000 worth of jewellery.

After several weeks of investigations, police officers finally nabbed the culprit on Saturday at Woodlands Avenue 6.

Police officers on a stake-out to catch the con-man spotted the suspect while he was trying the same trick on his latest target.

When his sweet-talking failed, he walked off and the officers stopped him.

If found guilty of cheating, the suspect could be jailed up to 10 years.

Crime rates against the elderly - for offences such as robbery, theft and cheating - have been on the rise in the past few years.