Scam? Women ask Singaporean couple to buy them a meal after 'losing money' at Genting

The casinos in Genting Highlands are a big draw for those looking to try their luck.

But several women were caught for allegedly swindling other tourists by pretending to be down and out.

A Singaporean couple was allegedly scammed recently after buying food for these "gamblers", Shin Min Daily News reported last Sunday (May 14).

Speaking to the Chinese evening daily, 58-year-old Chen shared that she and her husband were in Genting for a three-day vacation earlier this month.

The couple went to a western food restaurant on the first night after arriving in Malaysia.

"When my husband was waiting in line, two middle-aged women approached him," Chen said. "They told him about how they had lost all their money at the casinos."

Describing how her husband is usually kind and generous, Chen shared that he bought the women dinner - costing RM16.50 (S$5.50) - at the restaurant.

"When the husband went to the counter to place an order, one of them followed and ordered another Taiwanese sausage at RM9.80," she said, adding that the women also took away several bottles of mineral water.

"After the meal, the women even told us not to tell anyone about them."

After returning back to Singapore, Chen came across a video of a scammer targeting tourists in Genting.

Speaking to Shin Min Daily News, the Singaporean said that it was the same woman who had approached her husband in Malaysia that day.

"Even though it's not a lot of money, I've been cheated. It has made me aggrieved," Chen said.

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Chen's plight comes as four foreign nationals were arrested in Genting Highlands on May 7, the New Straits Times reported. 

The police said they were alerted about the incident after a 23-second video of the female suspects going around causing disturbance and begging for money went viral on Facebook.

Speaking to the Malaysian news outlet, Superintendent Zaiham Mohd Kahar said the suspects were aged between 30 and 34 years old, adding that they had approached members of the public to coax and beg for money.

"They were arrested hours after their activities went viral on social media and taken to the Genting Highlands police station for further investigations," he said.

Zaiham said the suspects are investigated under the Minor Offences Act 1955 for begging in a public place when the individual is capable of earning a living, and can be fined up to RM100 or be imprisoned up to a month, or both.

chingshijie@asiaone.com