MS Features: Man in S’pore cheated of more than S$13K, finds out love interest has boyfriend

MS Features: Man in Singapore cheated of more than S$13K by love interest

For most, love is a journey filled with hope, kindness, and sacrifice. But for one man in Singapore, what began as an act of generosity and care spiralled into hurt and heartbreak when he realised he had been cheated of his money.

“I thought that the more money I helped her with, the more she would eventually fall for me. But that was never the case,” said Mr S (not his real name), 26, a technician.

In the end, he was cheated of more than S$13,000, leaving him emotionally shattered and financially burdened.

Mr S shares his personal experience with MS News — hoping that his story will prevent others from going through the same experience.

An unexpected cry for help

In Apr 2022, Mr S received an unexpected message from Nina (not her real name), a friend whom he had known since primary and secondary school.

Though they were never close, she confided in him about her struggles — sharing that her parents were battling diabetes and the mounting hospital bills were becoming unbearable.

Source: Healthline. Image for illustration purposes only.

They had no insurance, she claimed, and she desperately needed S$2,000 to cover immediate expenses.

Moved by her plight, he lent her the money, trusting that she would repay him as promised.

Man continues to support long-lost friend

As time passed, Nina failed to return the initial sum, but her pleas for financial assistance only intensified.

She spoke of one family emergency after another — her grandfather’s accident, recurring ambulance payments for her father’s frequent hospital visits, polyclinic bills, work-related expenses, and even basic necessities like food and sanitary pads.

Mr S told MS News: “She’d kept asking and asking to the point where I had no money left for myself.”

It was then that she suggested he took loans from licensed moneylenders in his name, promising to cover the repayments.

Source: Soon Seng Credit

Feeling emotionally invested and wanting to help, he agreed. He borrowed from loan agencies such as Crawfort, Credit 21, and Soon Seng Credit, accumulating a total debt of S$13,658.21.

However, when it came time for repayment, she either made excuses or ignored his calls and texts. In the end, Mr S was left to struggle with the loan repayments alone.

A shocking discovery

Eventually, he decided to visit Nina’s parents to confirm if her pleas were genuine.

Mr S was relieved when they vouched for her, insisting the money was truly needed for medical expenses. They even offered to help repay her debts and covered the first repayment cycle during his visit.

For a brief moment, he thought things were taking a positive turn. However, a check on social media with Tina (not her real name), one of Nina’s close friends, shattered this illusion.

To his shock, Nina was overseas — with her boyfriend. The money he lent her had funded their vacation.

The heartbreak of a man cheated

“I had feelings for her,” he admitted. Mr S also shared that he had a small crush on Nina back in secondary school, but a schoolmate advised him against pursuing it.

“I think the reason I developed feelings for her was because of her consistent replies to my messages and the occasional Telegram ‘bubbles’ she sent me when I first started helping her, which made me feel like she was interested,” he added.

He believed that the more he supported her, the stronger her feelings for him would grow.

In chasing for her affection, he had overlooked the many red flags leading to him being emotionally and financially manipulated.

This realisation sent him into a downward spiral.

Meanwhile, Nina’s mother continued to repay Mr S S$300 per month, managing seven months of payments (S$2,100 in total) before falling ill and stopping entirely.

A glimmer of hope

In Apr 2023, Nina resurfaced after months of no contact, claiming she would take over the loan repayments herself. 

At first, Mr S felt a glimmer of hope — perhaps she had realised the gravity of her actions.

But once again, she failed to deliver. This time around, she found herself entangled in another massive financial dispute, owing a client hundreds of thousands of dollars.

One day, while scrolling through Facebook, he stumbled upon a viral post about Nina by accident.

Connected with another “victim” by chance

A man named Jeremiah Lim had posted about his bad experience with Nina’s interior design studio, Studio Kalasan.

He had engaged them to renovate his home in Dec 2022. Mr Lim and his wife paid the studio a large sum of money, but after three months, nothing was done. 

Image provided by Jeremiah Lim

Realising that he was not Nina’s only victim, Mr S shared the post with Tina, who then connected him with Mr Lim.

“After speaking to Mr Lim, I came to the realisation that it was my responsibility to report Nina to the police and do whatever it takes to ensure she gets caught or declared bankrupt, so she could no longer exploit, scam, or deceive others,” he said.

“Previously, I considered reporting Nina to the police, but Tina advised me against it, as her being in jail would reduce my chances of getting my money back. Also, it would take away her opportunity to earn money to repay me.”

Besides the alleged renovation “scam”, Nina also faced fresh complaints recently from some small business owners who came together to make police reports against her in Feb 2025.

A lesson learned by a man who was cheated

Looking back, Mr S admits that his emotions clouded his judgment.

He shared that there was once late into the “friendship” where he confessed his feelings for Nina.

In response, she told him that her current “situation” would “not allow” her to be in a relationship as she had “so much to juggle”.

However, Nina had given him a sliver of hope — saying that: ” If the situation in her life wasn’t so bad, she would have gone for me.”

Looking back, Mr S realised that she was simply stringing him along for her financial gain.

If you or someone you know is struggling with financial fraud or emotional distress, do seek support from trusted friends, family, or professional counsellors.

If you or anyone you know needs support, do try calling these hotlines:

• Samaritans of Singapore Hotline: 1767
• Institute of Mental Health’s Helpline: 6389 2222
• Singapore Association for Mental Health Helpline: 1800 283 7019

There are also other forms of support. For more information, visit SupportGoWhere or HealthHub’s MindSG.

Also read: 14 police reports filed against ‘serial scammer’ couple in S’pore who allegedly cheated vendors in retail scheme 

Have news you must share? Get in touch with us via email at news@mustsharenews.com.

Featured image adapted from kieferpix on Canva for illustration purposes only.