SINGAPORE: A 68-year-old man fell victim to an online love scam, losing more than S$10,000 after being deceived by a woman he met on social media.
Ng, a salesperson, told Shin Min Daily News that he met a Chinese woman in August 2025.
The woman, who introduced herself as “Li Xin” (transliteration), first added him on Facebook, and the two later moved their conversation to WhatsApp.
Initially, Ng and Li Xin exchanged messages about everyday topics, including life and work.
About a week later, Li Xin told Ng she wanted to visit Singapore to meet him in person.
However, she revealed that she had previously committed a crime in Singapore, which restricted her entry.
“She said her entry into the country was restricted, and she needed to apply for the relevant permits before being allowed to travel,” Ng said.
He admitted that he found Li Xin attractive and wanted to meet her as soon as possible, so he did not question her story.
Continued Requests for Money
Soon after, Ng received a call from a man identifying himself as “Section Chief Wang” (transliteration), supposedly a Chinese government official.
Wang told Ng that a deposit and handling fee had to be paid before arrangements could be made for Li Xin to leave China.
Over the following week, Ng made several payments to the designated bank account.
However, Li Xin did not arrive in Singapore.
“She told me that she couldn’t come to Singapore because she was carrying too much jewellery, and customs had refused to let her leave the country,” Ng said.
A few days later, Li Xin contacted Ng again, claiming she genuinely wanted to be friends.
To “receive permission” to travel to Singapore, Ng transferred thousands more dollars to her.
He was later told that Li Xin had arrived in Singapore but had been detained by customs for carrying too much money.
To convince him, she sent photos of an airport and airplane cabin as “evidence.”
Hoping to help, Ng sent her another S$1,000 to “bail” her out.
Soon after, Li Xin claimed she had been hospitalised following a car accident on her way from the airport.
When Ng asked to visit her, she refused to disclose her location, raising his suspicions.
Ng questioned her story, which angered her.
She then demanded S$600 for medical fees and another S$600 as an “apology fee” before agreeing to meet him.
Ng eventually complied.
Final Disappearance
On the day they were supposed to meet, Li Xin said she could not make it due to a traffic jam.
The following day, she told Ng she had gone to Malaysia for a trip and that they could only meet upon her return.
That was the last time Ng heard from her. By then, he had lost over S$10,000.
Later, Wang contacted Ng again, claiming that Li Xin had lost her phone in Malaysia and could no longer be reached.
Ng found this explanation suspicious.
“If she couldn’t call me, why could she still call him? Did she think I was stupid?” he said.
Convinced that Wang and Li Xin were scammers, Ng filed a police report.
Police confirmed that a report had been lodged and investigations are ongoing.
Ng said his family was furious when they found out about the scam.
His son has since restricted his bank account, requiring Ng to seek approval for any withdrawals.
Ng admitted he had brought the situation upon himself and did not protest, and he hopes his experience will serve as a warning to others not to fall for similar scams.
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