A 54-year-old executive officer living in Woodlands recalled how he was approached by two women at the void deck of Block 363 at about 1pm on March 2.

He was riding his bicycle when the women, whom the resident described as very slim and appeared to be in their early-20s, stopped him and asked him for $10. They claimed they had lost their purses and needed money for food.

"Before giving them money, I asked them where they were from and what they were doing. The two said in unison that they were from Hong Kong, but their accents sounded Chinese," the resident told Shin Min Daily News.

He claimed that after he handed over $10, one of the women asked if she could borrow a few hundred dollars from him. She offered to exchange phone numbers with him to facilitate the loan.

"I was frightened, it felt like a scam. I waved them away and rode off," said the man, who recalled his brother warning him of a similar encounter.

The man tried looking for the women shortly after the incident but they were nowhere to be seen. He has filed a police report.

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This article was first published in The New Paper. Permission required for reproduction.