Single mother loses S$80,900 in job scam

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Her story serves as a grim reminder of the dangers lurking in the world of online job opportunities.