Singaporean man loses home and life savings of over S$120,000 in two-year online romance scam

A 59-year-old Singaporean man has lost his life savings and home after falling victim to an elaborate two-year romance scam involving a woman who claimed to be from Hangzhou, China.

The man, who identified himself only as Tan, told Shin Min Daily News that he met the woman, known as “Huang Ping”, on Facebook in mid-2023. Huang said she was a divorcee in her 30s with a daughter.

Relationship built on daily contact

Tan said they communicated daily through text and phone calls. “She was very caring and always made time for me. I had no doubt she was sincere,” he said.

After several months, Huang began asking for financial help, citing personal struggles. Tan initially sent a few thousand dollars, believing it was normal for a couple to support each other. Over time, his savings of S$30,000 to S$40,000 were depleted.

Persuaded to sell HDB flat

Later, Huang suggested that Tan sell his Ang Mo Kio HDB flat and move to China to start a new life together. Convinced by the idea, Tan agreed.

He surrendered his three-room flat, which was under the Selective En bloc Redevelopment Scheme, and received compensation of about S$123,000. Over the next year, he transferred the entire sum to bank accounts provided by Huang — some transfers reaching up to S$40,000 each.

Left homeless and destitute

When his funds ran out, Tan became homeless and sought help from a friend, who, upon hearing his story, suspected he had been scammed.

“It wasn’t until my friend showed me similar scam stories and pointed out the red flags — like frequent changes in bank account numbers — that I woke up,” Tan said.

He lodged a police report on 21 July 2025. The Singapore Police Force confirmed that investigations are ongoing.

Bank alerts ignored

Tan revealed that his bank had flagged suspicious transactions more than a year earlier and advised him to stop sending money.

“I told them confidently that it wasn’t a scam,” he said. “When they asked too many questions, I lied and said the money was for a friend.”

The bank subsequently capped his transfer limit at S$200 per transaction. Undeterred, Tan withdrew cash and deposited it manually at ATMs to continue sending money.

Silence after money ran out

About two months ago, Huang stopped communicating, saying her grandmother had died and that she was observing a six-month mourning period.

“She even deleted parts of our chat history. That was when I realised she was never real. I now believe the photos she sent were stolen,” Tan said.

He is currently living with his friend while looking for work and hopes to rent a room once he regains financial stability. “I was blinded by love, but now I just want to move on and rebuild,” he added.

Surge in scams and cybercrime

According to the Singapore Police Force, scam and cybercrime cases rose by 10.8% in 2024, with total losses reaching S$1.1 billion — a 70% increase from 2023.

E-commerce scams were the most common, with 11,665 cases reported. However, high-value frauds, including cryptocurrency-related scams, made up a significant portion of the total amount lost.

Cryptocurrency scams alone accounted for 24.3% of total scam losses, up from 6.8% in 2023. Just four major cases contributed S$237.9 million in losses.

In 2024, there were also 852 reported cases of internet love scams, with victims losing a combined S$27.6 million.