SINGAPORE: A woman grew suspicious after a man she met through a dating app invited her to Singapore to meet his parents just weeks after chatting and later tried to convince her to invest in cryptocurrency. Netizens now suspect she may have been in the early stages of a “pig butchering” scam.
Detailing her experience in a post on the r/SingaporeRaw forum on Saturday (Oct 25), the woman shared that she had been chatting with the 29-year-old Singaporean man for only three weeks before he invited her to fly back to Singapore with him to meet his parents.
According to her, both of them are currently living and working in Australia. She met the man through the dating app Hinge, and while he initially came across as pleasant and attentive, his behaviour soon became increasingly unusual.
She said he frequently acted as though they were already in a relationship in their online conversations, told her that he already loved her, and later began urging her to invest in cryptocurrency.
The woman said she found this rather suspicious, especially since the man had declined her suggestion to meet in person, claiming he was “too busy.”
Unsure whether this was considered normal in Singapore’s dating culture or something out of the ordinary, she turned to Singaporeans online for answers.
“I can’t help but feel like this is a huge red flag, even though everything has been going well. I’m not sure if it’s just his thing or something related to how dating works in his country,” she said. “What is Singaporean dating culture like?”
“That’s a huge, billboard-sized red flag.”
Immediately recognising the pattern, many Singaporean Redditors informed the woman that she was likely being pulled into a “pig butchering” scam.
One commenter wrote, “IT IS A SCAM. Stop contact, please. Think about your money. This is a well-known scam—the pig butchering scam. Read up and stay safe.”
Another supported this claim, writing, “The red flag came up when he asked you to invest in crypto. No matter how much sweet talk there was before, once money is involved, it’s a no-no.”
A third said, “Something worth considering: If your conversations are amazing, yet he’s acting a little strange (unwillingness to meet, love bombing, moving way too fast, etc.), he could be chatting you up with AI—be it for dating or pig butchering purposes. I’d say listen to your gut. It’s not some cultural thing; I’d be a little suspicious too.”
A fourth added, “This so-called Singaporean male is a red flag—if he’s even Singaporean or really in Australia to begin with. And asking you specifically to invest in crypto? Love bombing so early into the relationship without even meeting?”
“That’s a huge, billboard-sized red flag. Do not engage, do not invest, and do not loan him money. You have been warned by us.”
Pig butchering scams
According to Channel News Asia, “pig butchering,” or sha zhu pan in Mandarin, is a scam where fraudsters spend weeks or even months chatting with victims to gain their trust before eventually persuading them to invest in cryptocurrency.
Scammers often guide victims through setting up accounts and transferring money to what appears to be a genuine investment platform—but it is actually fake and run by the scammers. Once they have taken enough money, they disappear, leaving victims unable to withdraw their funds.
Anyone who suspects they are being targeted can report it through the ScamShield app or by calling the 24/7 ScamShield Helpline at 1799.
