THE last person in the apple scam was jailed 33 months on Tuesday after deciding to throw in the towel in the midst of his trial.

Wu Dongling, 41, pleaded guilty during his defence on the sixth day of the hearing to cheating Madam Ong Siew Kiat, 69, of $55,000 and $750 worth of jewellery at an overhead bridge along Guillemard Road on June 12.

His two siblings, Wu Dongzhen, 35, and Wu Dongrui, 31, have been dealt with.

Dongzhen, together with two other women, Chen Yan, 37, and Feng Xueping, 34, pleaded guilty last month. Each of them is now serving 30 months' jail.

Dongrui had earlier claimed trial but changed his plea on the fourth day of his trial last month. He got 27 months.

Madam Ong was conned into believing that she was ill and her household was 'dirty'. She handed over cash and four pieces of jewellery to the tricksters in a plastic bag for prayers to be said.

She was told not to open the plastic bag until 10 days later but she felt uneasy about the whole thing. On opening the plastic bag, she found two bottles of mineral water and a small packet of soap powder inside.

She told her daughter, who called the police. The five were arrested the same day at Woodlands checkpoint after an island-wide alert.