Once bitten, twice not shy: Woman loses over $15k to online love scams

These men stole not only her heart, but also her money.

A woman, surnamed Wang, recently fell for a love scam that took over $14,000 from her — months after she fell victim to another love scam that cost her $1,300.

The middle-aged woman's encounters with these scammers began in June last year when she met a man named Andy on Facebook, Shin Min Daily News reported.

The two chatted with each other for about five months before Andy made his first move — he asked Wang to buy him an iTunes card worth $50.

Wang, unfamiliar with how iTunes cards work, had Andy guide her through the process, and ended up spending $250 on the card instead.

Once, Andy claimed that one of the cards had expired, so Wang returned to the convenience store and confronted the staff there.

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Police were called to the scene and they warned Wang that she had likely fallen for a scam. At the time, the woman refused to believe this.

However, Andy kept asking for more money from her while also postponing their meetup, raising Wang's suspicions.

But by then, Wang had already sunk $1,300 into their 'relationship'.

When she confronted her 'lover', the latter threatened to leak her nudes to her ex-husband and son, further demanding that she buy him another $500 iTunes card.

In a panic, Wang contacted the police and was told to ignore the scammer. Eventually, Andy stopped contacting her.

A second chance at love

Although her first attempt at an online relationship didn't work out, Wang started to chat with another man in May this year.

Alvin, who claimed to be a man of South Korean and Malaysian descent and lived in Sydney, caught her eye and her heart.

She shared with the Chinese daily that Alvin appeared to be gentle and caring, and even empathised with her when she told him she had been scammed before.

Wang also laid down the rules — if money was ever involved in their conversation, she would cut ties with him.

Alvin said he was a victim of an investment scam himself and she eventually let her guard down.

However, he soon approached her for help with money.

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For a 'project' in Thailand, Alvin asked Wang to help him discuss the price of a construction material, and provided Wang with contact details of the company to speak with.

Wang did her own research and found that the company existed, so she reached out to the contact provided by Alvin.

The man claimed that he had paid for 200kg of the material but he needed to order another 100kg and he was short on cash.

While Wang managed to negotiate the deal, she had to pay for miscellaneous fees, inclusive of shipping. She ended up sending $6,155 to the 'company'.

'I'm a scammer, so what?'

Afterwards, the woman attempted to meet up with Alvin and see the progress of the construction 'project' in Bangkok, even spending $650 to fly over on June 27.

While she was there, Alvin kept making excuses and avoiding her — all while the 'company' continued to pressure her to pay another $2,000 and $6,000 for materials.

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Without much money left in her bank account, Wang borrowed from fellow churchgoers, friends and relatives. In total, she received $3,000 from her friends in church and $5,000 from relatives.

"I really couldn't borrow any more money, or I wouldn't be able to pay my debts afterwards," she told Shin Min.

Disheartened, she returned to Singapore and called Alvin, accusing him of scamming her.

In response, Alvin replied via WhatsApp: "Yes, I'm a scammer, so what?"

According to screengrabs Wang shared with Shin Min, Alvin also wrote: "When you are done talking nonsense, you can get lost or block me. I'm a scammer, what else do you want from me?"

While her family and friends told her she didn't need to return the money, Wang insisted on taking responsibility for her actions by paying them back in monthly instalments.

She has lodged a police report regarding Alvin's scams.

khooyihang@asiaone.com