Uncle must have regretted it terribly..
A 68-year-old man, who only wanted to be called Ng, lost more than S$10,000 to a sneaky online scam. It all started when he met a woman online who promised to visit him, but her story quickly got more and more complicated—and expensive.
A Meeting on Social Media
Ng, a salesperson, met a woman named “Li Xin” on Facebook back in August 2025. They started chatting and soon moved their conversations to WhatsApp, where they talked about their lives and jobs. After a week, Li Xin said that she wanted to come to Singapore to meet him.
But, she mentioned that she had committed a crime in Singapore before, which meant her entry was restricted. She needed to get special permits to be able to travel. Ng, who simply found her attractive and was eager to meet her, didn’t question her story.
The Payments Begin
Soon after, Ng got a call from a man who introduced himself as “Section Chief Wang,” claiming to be a Chinese government official. “Wang” told Ng that he had to pay a deposit and a handling fee so Li Xin could leave China. Over the next week, Ng made several payments, but Li Xin never showed up.
She later told him that customs stopped her because she was carrying too much jewelry. A few days later, she contacted him again, saying she genuinely wanted to be his friend, and convinced him to send thousands more to “receive permission” to travel.
Then, Li Xin claimed she had arrived in Singapore but was detained by customs for carrying too much money. To prove it, she sent him photos of the airport and an airplane cabin. Ng, wanting to help, sent her another S$1,000 to “bail” her out.
After getting “bailed out,” she claimed she got into a car accident and was in the hospital. When Ng tried to visit her, she refused to tell him where she was, which made him suspicious. He questioned her, and she got angry, demanding he pay S$600 for her medical fees and another S$600 as an “apology fee.” Ng, still hopeful, paid up.
On the day they were finally supposed to meet, she said she couldn’t make it because of a traffic jam. The next day, she told him she had gone to Malaysia and would meet him when she got back. That was the last he heard from her. By then, he had lost over S$10,000.
Later, “Section Chief Wang” called Ng, saying Li Xin had lost her phone in Malaysia. This was the final red flag for Ng. He said, “If she couldn’t call me, why could she still call him? Did she think I was stupid?” Ng then realized he had been scammed and filed a police report.
When his family found out, they were furious. His son now controls his bank account and makes him explain why he needs money before giving it to him. Ng admitted he was at fault and didn’t argue. He said, “I have to explain clearly why I need money before they’ll give it to me. They’re afraid I’ll be cheated again.”
