A 59-year-old man from Singapore fell for the charm of a beautiful 'Hangzhou lady' he met online. Despite never having met in person, over two years he repeatedly transferred money at her request to designated accounts. He even believed he could move to Hangzhou to spend their lives together, and ultimately gave her all S$123,000 (RM404,500) from the sale of his HDB flat.
Mr. Chen (pseudonym), 59, thought he had found a lifelong partner through this long-distance online romance, only to realize after two years that he had fallen into a love scam.
He told Singapore’s Shin Min Daily News that he met a woman named 'Huang Ping' on Facebook in mid-2023. The woman claimed to be in her 30s, from Hangzhou, China, divorced, and had a daughter.
● Sweetly Addressing Each Other as 'Husband' and 'Wife'
Mr. Chen felt the woman was attractive and conversation flowed easily. Within a few months, they developed an online romantic relationship and called each other 'husband' and 'wife' in sweet messages.
'We chatted every day and even called after work. She cared about me a lot—I never suspected a thing.' The woman regularly showed concern and spoke sweet words, causing Mr. Chen to completely let down his guard. But a few months into their relationship, she began to hint at financial difficulties and asked Mr. Chen to lend her money.
'Sometimes she even called me crying, saying her days were hard. I had real feelings for her, so I softened.' Soon, Mr. Chen had spent all his S$340,000 (RM1.1181 million) savings. Unexpectedly, the woman then made an even more daring suggestion—she asked him to sell his flat, move to China, and start a new life with her.
'I thought it sounded good. After all, I’m getting older and want to settle down, so I considered retiring over there.' Eventually swayed by the idea, Mr. Chen sold his flat and received about S$123,000 in compensation, which he transferred bit by bit over a year to accounts designated by the woman.
● Realizes Scam Only After Seeking Help From Friends
Having sold his flat, Mr. Chen was left homeless and with just a few thousand dollars in his bank account. Desperate, he turned to friends for help. Upon hearing his story, his friends immediately recognized it as a scam. It was only after their persuasion that Mr. Chen finally went to the police.