A Malaysian couple who had worked in Singapore for many years fell into a Permanent Resident (PR) application scam, painfully losing $80,000 (SGD, approximately MYR 249,000), and have come forward to expose the fraudsters' tricks to warn others.
According to Shin Min Daily News, the couple received letters bearing official “authorities” logos informing them that their application had been approved. During the process, they were asked to pay for 'investing in a local company,' 'enrolling in language courses,' and 'donations to increase community contribution,' all to secure their PR eligibility. The ordeal lasted nearly eight months before they realized it was all a sham.
Ms. Qin, 28, from Johor Bahru, Malaysia, told Shin Min Daily reporters that she and her husband had been working hard in Singapore for many years, always hoping to become Singapore PRs someday. In April last year, she saw a Facebook ad claiming to 'assist with Singapore PR applications,' and proactively contacted the advertiser.
The fraudster first asked the couple to provide their work permits and IDs to check eligibility. After confirming them as qualified, the scammer sent an 'application process and fee schedule,' requesting an application fee of $100 per person, a $200 deposit, and a $1,200 'data verification fee.'
After making payment, the next day, the couple received a letter with the Singapore Immigration & Checkpoints Authority logo, claiming their application was approved and instructing them to go to the ICA building for an 'interview' the following week.
Ms. Qin said: “But on the day, they (the scammers) suddenly said our documents were insufficient for the interview, and asked each of us to pay $3,000 to buy shares in a local company and $5,140 to enroll in a language course to increase our chances. Then they said the entire process was confidential, and we each had to pay a $2,000 confidentiality guarantee deposit.”
In hopes of a successful application, the couple exhausted their savings to pay up, but the nightmare still wasn’t over. The scammers then claimed that to 'increase community contribution,' they had to 'do charity,' asking each to 'donate' $2,700 monthly for half a year.
Ms. Qin recalled that after every payment, they received a receipt showing a company name and address. “It was our first time applying for PR, and their documents looked so real, so we believed it.”
She said that at the end of last year, the scammer claimed their application was approved, but to print the Re-Entry Permit (REP), they had to pay an additional $12,500 per person.
“He said this was the last step. He even said if we didn’t pay, we couldn’t get the letter, so we complied.”
The couple spent more than $80,000 in total over nearly eight months and still did not get their PR status. Only then did they realize they had been scammed and reported the case to the police at the beginning of this year.
Ms. Qin, 28, from Johor Bahru, Malaysia, told Shin Min Daily reporters that she and her husband had been working hard in Singapore for many years, always hoping to become Singapore PRs someday. In April last year, she saw a Facebook ad claiming to 'assist with Singapore PR applications,' and proactively contacted the advertiser.
The fraudster first asked the couple to provide their work permits and IDs to check eligibility. After confirming them as qualified, the scammer sent an 'application process and fee schedule,' requesting an application fee of $100 per person, a $200 deposit, and a $1,200 'data verification fee.'
After making payment, the next day, the couple received a letter with the Singapore Immigration & Checkpoints Authority logo, claiming their application was approved and instructing them to go to the ICA building for an 'interview' the following week.
Ms. Qin said: “But on the day, they (the scammers) suddenly said our documents were insufficient for the interview, and asked each of us to pay $3,000 to buy shares in a local company and $5,140 to enroll in a language course to increase our chances. Then they said the entire process was confidential, and we each had to pay a $2,000 confidentiality guarantee deposit.”
In hopes of a successful application, the couple exhausted their savings to pay up, but the nightmare still wasn’t over. The scammers then claimed that to 'increase community contribution,' they had to 'do charity,' asking each to 'donate' $2,700 monthly for half a year.
Ms. Qin recalled that after every payment, they received a receipt showing a company name and address. “It was our first time applying for PR, and their documents looked so real, so we believed it.”
She said that at the end of last year, the scammer claimed their application was approved, but to print the Re-Entry Permit (REP), they had to pay an additional $12,500 per person.
“He said this was the last step. He even said if we didn’t pay, we couldn’t get the letter, so we complied.”
The couple spent more than $80,000 in total over nearly eight months and still did not get their PR status. Only then did they realize they had been scammed and reported the case to the police at the beginning of this year.