She was scammed after she responded to a ‘job’ ad on Facebook
/* inline tdc_css att */.tdi_30_2b6{margin-top:0px !important;margin-right:-40px !important;margin-left:-40px !important;padding-top:30px !important;padding-right:40px !important;padding-bottom:42px !important;padding-left:40px !important;position:relative;}/* portrait */@media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1018px){.tdi_30_2b6{margin-right:-30px !important;margin-left:-30px !important;padding-right:30px !important;padding-bottom:20px !important;padding-left:30px !important;}}/* phone */@media (max-width: 767px){.tdi_30_2b6{margin-right:-24px !important;margin-left:-24px !important;padding-top:25px !important;padding-right:24px !important;padding-bottom:16px !important;padding-left:24px !important;}}/* custom css */.td-pb-span12 .tdi_30_2b6 img.aligncenter,.td-pb-span12 .tdi_30_2b6 .aligncenter img{ margin-left: -1px; width: calc(100% + (2 * 1px)); max-width: none !important; }.td-pb-span12 .tdi_30_2b6 .alignleft{ margin-left: -1px; }.td-pb-span12 .tdi_30_2b6 .alignright{ margin-right: -1px; }.tdi_30_2b6, .tdi_30_2b6 > p{ font-family:”Helvetica Neue”, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif !important;font-size:17px !important;line-height:1.8 !important;font-weight:400 !important; }.tdi_30_2b6 h1{ font-family:”Helvetica Neue”, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif !important;font-style:normal !important;font-weight:700 !important;text-transform:uppercase !important; }.tdi_30_2b6 h2{ font-family:”Helvetica Neue”, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif !important;font-style:normal !important;font-weight:700 !important;text-transform:uppercase !important; }.tdi_30_2b6 h3{ font-family:”Helvetica Neue”, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif !important; }.tdi_30_2b6 h4{ font-family:”Helvetica Neue”, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif !important; }.tdi_30_2b6 h6{ font-family:”Helvetica Neue”, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif !important; }.tdi_30_2b6 blockquote p{ font-family:”Helvetica Neue”, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif !important;font-style:italic !important;font-weight:500 !important;text-transform:uppercase !important; color: #000000; }.tdi_30_2b6,.tdi_30_2b6 p{ color: #444444; }.tdi_30_2b6 .wp-caption-text{ color: #000000; }.tdi_30_2b6 [class*=’top_ad’] .td-adspot-title{ color: #dd3333; }.tdi_30_2b6 [class*=’inline_ad0′] .td-adspot-title{ color: #ffffff; }.tdi_30_2b6 [class*=’inline_ad1′] .td-adspot-title{ color: #ffffff; }.tdi_30_2b6 [class*=’inline_ad2′] .td-adspot-title{ color: #ffffff; }.tdi_30_2b6 [class*=’bottom_ad’] .td-adspot-title{ color: #dd3333; }.tdi_30_2b6_rand_style{background-color:#ffffff !important;}
SINGAPORE: A single mother has revealed that she fell victim to a job scam that promised her substantial commissions but left her financially devastated. The woman’s ten years of hard-earned savings, a lifeline for her and her two children, were wiped out when she lost $80,900 to this ruthless scheme.
Ms Lee (not her real name) told the Straits Times that after five years as a stay-at-home mother following the birth of her eldest daughter, she needed a stable income source following her divorce and decided to explore job opportunities.
Approximately two months ago, Ms Lee came across a seemingly legitimate job posting on Facebook for a marketing position at a local company. Intrigued, she further investigated the company through its website, which appeared credible and noted over 100 positive comments on the company’s Facebook page.
.u8b9a9bdfde3193c94640c1f28b659c4c { padding:0px; margin: 0; padding-top:1em!important; padding-bottom:1em!important; width:100%; display: block; font-weight:bold; background-color:#eaeaea; border:0!important; border-left:4px solid #2980B9!important; text-decoration:none; } .u8b9a9bdfde3193c94640c1f28b659c4c:active, .u8b9a9bdfde3193c94640c1f28b659c4c:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; text-decoration:none; } .u8b9a9bdfde3193c94640c1f28b659c4c { transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; } .u8b9a9bdfde3193c94640c1f28b659c4c .ctaText { font-weight:bold; color:#464646; text-decoration:none; font-size: 16px; } .u8b9a9bdfde3193c94640c1f28b659c4c .postTitle { color:#000000; text-decoration: underline!important; font-size: 16px; } .u8b9a9bdfde3193c94640c1f28b659c4c:hover .postTitle { text-decoration: underline!important; } See also Indonesian hired for a banking job asks if 9.5-hour workday is ‘normal’ in Singapore
Ms Lee’s descent into this scam began when she contacted an individual named “Ivy” through WhatsApp. Ivy assured her that the job was straightforward – she only needed to place online orders for various household items and clothing to stimulate sales. Promising a lucrative payout, Ivy told Ms Lee that upon completing 60 orders, she could withdraw all funds and claim a 20% commission.
.u0483fc1d5ee3ce42d5d1e4bb192486ba { padding:0px; margin: 0; padding-top:1em!important; padding-bottom:1em!important; width:100%; display: block; font-weight:bold; background-color:#eaeaea; border:0!important; border-left:4px solid #2980B9!important; text-decoration:none; } .u0483fc1d5ee3ce42d5d1e4bb192486ba:active, .u0483fc1d5ee3ce42d5d1e4bb192486ba:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; text-decoration:none; } .u0483fc1d5ee3ce42d5d1e4bb192486ba { transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; } .u0483fc1d5ee3ce42d5d1e4bb192486ba .ctaText { font-weight:bold; color:#464646; text-decoration:none; font-size: 16px; } .u0483fc1d5ee3ce42d5d1e4bb192486ba .postTitle { color:#000000; text-decoration: underline!important; font-size: 16px; } .u0483fc1d5ee3ce42d5d1e4bb192486ba:hover .postTitle { text-decoration: underline!important; } See also POLL: S’poreans prefer flexible work arrangements over 4-day work week, though many admit extra rest day would benefit their mental health
Ivy convinced Ms Lee to deposit S$1,000 within two days to get started, promising a S$1,200 remuneration in return. Encouraged by this initial success, Ms Lee continued to place orders and followed the instructions of what she believed to be a legitimate “company employee.” She invested a total of SS$89,796, depleting her savings almost entirely after completing 40 orders.
However, as Ms Lee was on the verge of realizing her dreams of earning $18,000 in commissions and recouping her invested funds, the scammers sprung their trap. They demanded an exorbitant S$6,000 fee for her to withdraw the money she had earned.
.u7ba21ad70081d20adb35e9475c8a29e6 { padding:0px; margin: 0; padding-top:1em!important; padding-bottom:1em!important; width:100%; display: block; font-weight:bold; background-color:#eaeaea; border:0!important; border-left:4px solid #2980B9!important; text-decoration:none; } .u7ba21ad70081d20adb35e9475c8a29e6:active, .u7ba21ad70081d20adb35e9475c8a29e6:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; text-decoration:none; } .u7ba21ad70081d20adb35e9475c8a29e6 { transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; } .u7ba21ad70081d20adb35e9475c8a29e6 .ctaText { font-weight:bold; color:#464646; text-decoration:none; font-size: 16px; } .u7ba21ad70081d20adb35e9475c8a29e6 .postTitle { color:#000000; text-decoration: underline!important; font-size: 16px; } .u7ba21ad70081d20adb35e9475c8a29e6:hover .postTitle { text-decoration: underline!important; } See also Singapore Airline: Beware of scams and phishing sites; netizens skeptical of airline giving away free tickets
Ms Lee, already financially drained and desperate to support her two children, was stunned by this unexpected demand. She pleaded with the supposed company representative, explaining her dire circumstances. They callously insisted that the bank authorization fee was non-negotiable.
Suspicion grew when Ms Lee confronted Ivy about the situation, only to be met with claims that Ivy herself was also a victim and that her husband had reported the crime. Ms Lee’s growing doubts about Ivy’s involvement in the scam reached a breaking point when she was asked to pay an additional S$8,000 to “unfreeze” the company’s bank account, which had been frozen after someone else made a police report.
.u77098aca4af108f4521034097b719cda { padding:0px; margin: 0; padding-top:1em!important; padding-bottom:1em!important; width:100%; display: block; font-weight:bold; background-color:#eaeaea; border:0!important; border-left:4px solid #2980B9!important; text-decoration:none; } .u77098aca4af108f4521034097b719cda:active, .u77098aca4af108f4521034097b719cda:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; text-decoration:none; } .u77098aca4af108f4521034097b719cda { transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; } .u77098aca4af108f4521034097b719cda .ctaText { font-weight:bold; color:#464646; text-decoration:none; font-size: 16px; } .u77098aca4af108f4521034097b719cda .postTitle { color:#000000; text-decoration: underline!important; font-size: 16px; } .u77098aca4af108f4521034097b719cda:hover .postTitle { text-decoration: underline!important; } See also Man quit his first job after 8 months, asks if quitting his second job less than a year in will affect him
Fearing further financial loss and realizing the gravity of the situation, Ms Lee turned to the authorities and reported the scam to the police. The police have confirmed that an investigation is underway.
.ue48884507e0074d49057f51707ffe8ec { padding:0px; margin: 0; padding-top:1em!important; padding-bottom:1em!important; width:100%; display: block; font-weight:bold; background-color:#eaeaea; border:0!important; border-left:4px solid #2980B9!important; text-decoration:none; } .ue48884507e0074d49057f51707ffe8ec:active, .ue48884507e0074d49057f51707ffe8ec:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; text-decoration:none; } .ue48884507e0074d49057f51707ffe8ec { transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; } .ue48884507e0074d49057f51707ffe8ec .ctaText { font-weight:bold; color:#464646; text-decoration:none; font-size: 16px; } .ue48884507e0074d49057f51707ffe8ec .postTitle { color:#000000; text-decoration: underline!important; font-size: 16px; } .ue48884507e0074d49057f51707ffe8ec:hover .postTitle { text-decoration: underline!important; } See also POLL: S’poreans prefer flexible work arrangements over 4-day work week, though many admit extra rest day would benefit their mental health
Her story serves as a grim reminder of the dangers lurking in the world of online job opportunities.
