Virtual 'love' cost her $12,000
She had gone on the Web to search for a life partner but his web of lies left her nearly $12,000 poorer.
Last Friday night, the 37-year-old accounts executive, who declined to be named, made a police report after she was cheated by a man she 'met' on international dating website match.com
The divorcee with three children told The Sunday Times yesterday she had put up her profile on match.com after hearing success stories from friends and colleagues.
She, too, thought she had found love when two months ago, the man, who went by the username tony7407 and who claimed to be Taiwanese, sent her an e-mail message.
They chatted online daily, occasionally calling each other over the phone too.
The man, claiming to be working in an investment company in Hong Kong, was 'caring and knowledgeable'.
'He said we had a future together and I believed him. He even said he was going to visit me in Singapore within the next two weeks,' she said.
Just as she began to let her guard down, he told her he had lost heavily in the recent stock market crash.
Now eager to help him, she invested $5,500 through a 'VIP account' of his client. He promised her it would 'definitely make money'.
Last Monday, he told her the stock market had rebounded, she had made a huge profit, and that his company would reinvest the profits.
Twenty-four hours later, more good news came: She had made a million dollars.
But to get her money, she had to remit $10,000 in administrative fees. Smooth as ever, when she said she did not have that sum, he said he would borrow it from friends.
Later that day, he claimed to have borrowed about half the money. He also said he would get into trouble if his company knew he had illegally used his client's account.
Not wanting to see her 'boyfriend' in trouble, the woman called her sister, who works in China, to remit $6,100 to him.
But the man failed to log in that afternoon, as he usually did. Now suspecting a scam, the woman called him on the phone. He denied receiving the money.
She then tried to get her sister to stop the fund transfer but it was too late.
Last Friday, she made a police report in Singapore and in Hong Kong but was told that her chances of getting the money back was slim.
'I was too engrossed in the relationship, and I used my heart to think instead of my head.'
She added: 'Things on the Internet can't be trusted. You must be 110 per cent on guard.'
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This story was first published in The Sunday Times on 19 October 2008
She had gone on the Web to search for a life partner but his web of lies left her nearly $12,000 poorer.
Last Friday night, the 37-year-old accounts executive, who declined to be named, made a police report after she was cheated by a man she 'met' on international dating website match.com
The divorcee with three children told The Sunday Times yesterday she had put up her profile on match.com after hearing success stories from friends and colleagues.
She, too, thought she had found love when two months ago, the man, who went by the username tony7407 and who claimed to be Taiwanese, sent her an e-mail message.
They chatted online daily, occasionally calling each other over the phone too.
The man, claiming to be working in an investment company in Hong Kong, was 'caring and knowledgeable'.
'He said we had a future together and I believed him. He even said he was going to visit me in Singapore within the next two weeks,' she said.
Just as she began to let her guard down, he told her he had lost heavily in the recent stock market crash.
Now eager to help him, she invested $5,500 through a 'VIP account' of his client. He promised her it would 'definitely make money'.
Last Monday, he told her the stock market had rebounded, she had made a huge profit, and that his company would reinvest the profits.
Twenty-four hours later, more good news came: She had made a million dollars.
But to get her money, she had to remit $10,000 in administrative fees. Smooth as ever, when she said she did not have that sum, he said he would borrow it from friends.
Later that day, he claimed to have borrowed about half the money. He also said he would get into trouble if his company knew he had illegally used his client's account.
Not wanting to see her 'boyfriend' in trouble, the woman called her sister, who works in China, to remit $6,100 to him.
But the man failed to log in that afternoon, as he usually did. Now suspecting a scam, the woman called him on the phone. He denied receiving the money.
She then tried to get her sister to stop the fund transfer but it was too late.
Last Friday, she made a police report in Singapore and in Hong Kong but was told that her chances of getting the money back was slim.
'I was too engrossed in the relationship, and I used my heart to think instead of my head.'
She added: 'Things on the Internet can't be trusted. You must be 110 per cent on guard.'
[email protected]
This story was first published in The Sunday Times on 19 October 2008
