Love scam: Man transfers $120k to online 'China girlfriend' of 2 years after sale of Ang Mo Kio flat, Singapore News
With just a few thousand left in his bank account and nowhere to go, he sought help from a friend, who told him he had fallen for a love scam.
Chen (not his real name), 59, told Shin Min Daily News that he met his 'lover' on Facebook in 2023. The woman claimed to be divorced and in her 30s, and said she is from Hangzhou.
An internet romance bloomed between the pair, who started calling each other "wife" and "husband".
A few months after they started dating, Chen's 'girlfriend' said she was experiencing financial difficulties and asked if he could lend her money.
"It started with a few thousand dollars," he recalled. "She said she needed it for living expenses, and as a couple, helping each other is normal."
He added that the woman would sometimes cry when telling him about her life hardships. Suggested he sell his flat
Over time, Chen had sent her $30,000 to $40,000 of his savings. Then, the woman suggested he sell his Ang Mo Kio flat and move to China to live with her.
According to Shin Min, Chen returned his three-room flat under the Selective En bloc Redevelopment Scheme (Sers) scheme and received compensation of about $123,000.
He wired this sum to his 'girlfriend' across several bank transfers within the span of a year, even as bank staff reportedly tried to intervene.
Chen told the Chinese publication that the bank had called to warn he could be a victim of fraud, but he had insisted he was making transfers to a friend.
He said his transfer limit was reduced to $200 a day, so he would withdraw cash at the bank and transfer the money at an ATM.
"I was so obstinate then. Thinking back now, it was childish," he said.
The scam started to become obvious when Chen's 'girlfriend' cut off contact with him this April, claiming that her grandmother had died and she must observe a six-month mourning period.
She had also deleted some of their chat records.
Chen's friend, whom he had sought help from, persuaded him that it was a love scam, showing him reports of similar cases.
The man said he finally lodged a police report on July 21 and decided to share his story to raise awareness.
The police confirmed to Shin Min they had received a report and are investigating.
Chen also said he will search for a new job to support himself and rent a flat, to avoid troubling his friend for a long time.
"The money is already gone, and I can't change what happened, there's no point in regretting. I caused this; I was blinded by love," he expressed.
"I can still work now, so I'll work hard to earn the money back and recover."
[[nid:681697]]
lim.kewei@asiaone.com
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