'Fortune teller' goes missing after woman transfers him more than $5,000
A woman who transferred more than 30,000 yuan (S$5,314) to a Malaysian fortune-teller she met online has made a police report after she was subsequently unable to contact the man.
Ms. Chen, 29, told Shin Min Daily News that in February, she was feeling frustrated over her inability to save money. The administrative executive then happened to see a Xiaohongshu post from a Malaysian "master" who claimed the ability to divine an individual's fortunes.
After Ms Chen contacted him, the fortune-teller examined her horoscope and said he would help her to buy lottery tickets. He also said that he had personally won more than 270,000 yuan in the lottery.
"Someone claiming to be the master's assistant called and asked for my zodiac sign and full name. Then the master contacted me and said he had read my fortune and found that my horoscope had a bad omen. He asked me to pay RM120 (S$36) first."
Hidden numbers in her horoscope
The "master" later told her that there were eight numbers hidden in her horoscope and asked her to buy lottery tickets based on the first four numbers on March 9.
"The master said the last four numbers of my horoscope were too vague and needed his assistant to help with the betting. As a result, the four numbers I bought that night didn't win, but the master sent me a photo and said the numbers the assistant bought had come out."
Based on the photos provided by Ms Chen, the number bought by the "master" was 1184, with a total bet amount of RM600. It had struck the second prize, said the master, who added that the prize money was as much as RM900,000.
The master then asked her to transfer him about $1,080 dollars in order to buy lottery tickets and to cover the cost of his trip to a temple in Chiang Mai, Thailand, where he would make a thanksgiving offering on her behalf.
An offering on her behalf
Several days later, the "master" sent two photographs to show that he had performed the ceremony in the temple and asked her to pay him almost $1,500 dollars for transport and accommodation.
Ms Chen added that the "master" then asked her to spend about $2,400 on dragon incense and candles, and around $2,350 to buy statues of deities for worship. He also asked for more than $6,000 to buy a brass incense burner.
The "master" then said that the negative energy in her home had caused him to vomit blood, and that he needed to spend about $5,135 on four prayer books.
Finally, he asked for another $10,630, saying it was to pay for the venue fee for enshrining the statue.
'I had my doubts'
Ms. Chen said that while she had never tried fortune-telling or rituals to change her fortune before, and did not participate in religious activities on a daily basis, she had thought that these were necessary expenses.
"I actually had my doubts during the process, but the other party kept promising me a huge bonus, and I invested a lot of money, so I had no choice but to continue to believe, hoping that the other party was not deceiving me."
After losing contact with the "master" on April 15, Ms Chen realised what was going on and called the Singapore police. Shin Min attempted to contact the "master", but the number could not be dialed and texts could not be delivered.
In response to queries, the Singapore Police Force confirmed that a police report had been made and that the case was under investigation.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Paper
7 hours ago
- New Paper
3 S'poreans charged in Malaysia over cocaine-laced vape liquid, face possible death penalty
Three Singaporean men were among four people charged in Kuala Lumpur on June 26 with trafficking a cocaine-laced e-vaporiser liquid. The three are Quek Kien Seng, 45, Tristan Chew Jin Zhong, 25, and Ivan Tan Zhi Xuan, 31, reported national news agency Bernama. They were charged alongside Malaysian Kong Sien Mee, 57, with trafficking 9,420.2ml of cocaine under Malaysia's Dangerous Drugs Act. If convicted, they face the death penalty, or life imprisonment with whipping. The charge was read to the four accused before Magistrate Amalina Basirah Md Top, and no plea was recorded from them as the case falls under the jurisdiction of the High Court. The Singaporeans were represented by lawyer Ille Maryam Yusnawannie, while Kong was unrepresented. The four men were arrested on June 19 in Selangor during a raid on a syndicate involved in the distribution of a cocaine-laced e-vaporiser liquid. Ten boxes containing 4,958 units of liquid vape cartridges suspected to contain cocaine, estimated to be valued at up to RM7.29 million (S$2.2 million), were found in a car during the raid. Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department acting director Mat Zani Mohd Salahuddin Che Ali said at a press conference on June 23 that the syndicate would rent luxury condominium units in Kuala Lumpur, where they would package the drugs before distributing them to other countries. The case will be mentioned in court again on Sept 8.
New Paper
7 hours ago
- New Paper
Elderly man loses $55,000 in TikTok 'store' scam after being lured by 'beauty'
A 76-year-old man lost $55,000 in a TikTok scam after being persuaded by a woman who claimed he could earn easy profits by opening an online store. Speaking to Shin Min Daily News, the retiree said the ordeal began on April 21 when a TikTok user identifying herself as "Miss Li" messaged him. "She was Chinese and looked attractive, so I chatted a bit more," he said. Though aware of online scams and usually cautious, the man said "Miss Li" slowly gained his trust. She told him he could earn profits by investing through a TikTok store platform, prompting him to continue the conversation. They later moved their chat to WhatsApp. On April 29, "Miss Li" introduced him to what she claimed was a commercial version of TikTok. She sent screenshots and a download link, instructing him to register, invest money, and begin listing products for "business". The old man said that 'Miss Li' swore that she was not cheating him of his money. PHOTO: SHIN MIN DAILY NEWS On May 1, she convinced him to download a virtual currency wallet app. He had trouble setting it up, but eventually succeeded. "She asked me to take photos of my bank card, front and back, and guided me step by step, from binding the card, to recharging, to buying virtual currency, then transferring it to a specific wallet." The man was even able to withdraw small amounts of money at first, which made the platform appear legitimate. "That's when I believed it was real and ended up transferring a total of $55,500," he said. It wasn't until he could no longer withdraw any money that he realised he had been scammed. "Most of it was my retirement savings," he said, adding that he kept it from his wife and struggled for days before finally telling his children and filing a police report. The police have confirmed that a report was lodged and investigations are ongoing. The man said the experience has taken a toll on him, and he has been unable to eat or sleep since the incident. He even borrowed $10,000 from a friend during the scam and is now relying on his children to discreetly raise around $1,000 a month to cover household expenses, without alarming his wife. "My wife and I rely on our savings for our retirement. I couldn't bring myself to tell her as I knew she would be worried," he said, choking up. Despite everything, he continues to believe "Miss Li" is real and insists she is not part of a syndicate using stolen photos or AI-generated images. "She changed her number to a Hong Kong one. I've even had a video call with her," he said. Even when told that scammers often use deepfakes or pre-recorded videos during such calls, he remained unconvinced. "She sent me real-time photos while travelling overseas. I'm sure she's a real person," he said.
New Paper
7 hours ago
- New Paper
'Fortune teller' goes missing after woman transfers him more than $5,000
A woman who transferred more than 30,000 yuan (S$5,314) to a Malaysian fortune-teller she met online has made a police report after she was subsequently unable to contact the man. Ms. Chen, 29, told Shin Min Daily News that in February, she was feeling frustrated over her inability to save money. The administrative executive then happened to see a Xiaohongshu post from a Malaysian "master" who claimed the ability to divine an individual's fortunes. After Ms Chen contacted him, the fortune-teller examined her horoscope and said he would help her to buy lottery tickets. He also said that he had personally won more than 270,000 yuan in the lottery. "Someone claiming to be the master's assistant called and asked for my zodiac sign and full name. Then the master contacted me and said he had read my fortune and found that my horoscope had a bad omen. He asked me to pay RM120 (S$36) first." Hidden numbers in her horoscope The "master" later told her that there were eight numbers hidden in her horoscope and asked her to buy lottery tickets based on the first four numbers on March 9. "The master said the last four numbers of my horoscope were too vague and needed his assistant to help with the betting. As a result, the four numbers I bought that night didn't win, but the master sent me a photo and said the numbers the assistant bought had come out." Based on the photos provided by Ms Chen, the number bought by the "master" was 1184, with a total bet amount of RM600. It had struck the second prize, said the master, who added that the prize money was as much as RM900,000. The master then asked her to transfer him about $1,080 dollars in order to buy lottery tickets and to cover the cost of his trip to a temple in Chiang Mai, Thailand, where he would make a thanksgiving offering on her behalf. An offering on her behalf Several days later, the "master" sent two photographs to show that he had performed the ceremony in the temple and asked her to pay him almost $1,500 dollars for transport and accommodation. Ms Chen added that the "master" then asked her to spend about $2,400 on dragon incense and candles, and around $2,350 to buy statues of deities for worship. He also asked for more than $6,000 to buy a brass incense burner. The "master" then said that the negative energy in her home had caused him to vomit blood, and that he needed to spend about $5,135 on four prayer books. Finally, he asked for another $10,630, saying it was to pay for the venue fee for enshrining the statue. 'I had my doubts' Ms. Chen said that while she had never tried fortune-telling or rituals to change her fortune before, and did not participate in religious activities on a daily basis, she had thought that these were necessary expenses. "I actually had my doubts during the process, but the other party kept promising me a huge bonus, and I invested a lot of money, so I had no choice but to continue to believe, hoping that the other party was not deceiving me." After losing contact with the "master" on April 15, Ms Chen realised what was going on and called the Singapore police. Shin Min attempted to contact the "master", but the number could not be dialed and texts could not be delivered. In response to queries, the Singapore Police Force confirmed that a police report had been made and that the case was under investigation.
