SINGAPORE – After six months of trying to pay back banks, moneylenders and creditors, Christine (not her real name) finally started bankruptcy proceedings over a huge debt. The 37-year-old Malaysian nurse working in Singapore is a victim of a pig-butchering scam.
This hybrid of romance and investment scams see fraudsters pretend to be a love interest to swindle unsuspecting partners.
With a total debt of $270,000 and no recourse, Christine attended a court hearing on Thursday (Feb 17) to declare bankruptcy.
“If possible, I wouldn’t want to declare bankruptcy, but it’s a better option for me now,” said Christine, who is originally from Penang, Malaysia, breaking down in tears over the phone.
Having been apart from her family in Malaysia because of Covid-19 related travel restrictions, the loneliness drove her to seek companionship in a mystery stranger who sent her a direct message on Instagram.
The stranger claimed to be a 34-year-old Shanghainese interior designer, based in Vancouver, Canada.
A friendship quickly sparked, and they were soon talking daily via texts and voice calls.
He seemed legitimate enough, sharing pictures and videos from his daily life – whether it was pictures of his meals, or him skiing while on holiday.
“He kept saying to me ‘why don’t you find a partner, you don’t want to end up stuck in an old folks’ home alone without a family’,” said Christine.
“I only wanted to remain as friends with him since he was a free-thinker… but when he…
