“It Felt Like a Scam”: Woodlands Resident Cautions Neighbors About Begging Women

A Woodlands resident is warning others after an unusual encounter with two young women at the void deck of Block 363 around 1 p.m. on March 2. The 54-year-old executive officer shared that he was approached by the women, both very slim and appearing to be in their early 20s, who claimed to have lost their purses and asked for $10 to buy food.

“Before giving them money, I asked them where they were from,” he told Shin Min Daily News, noting they both said they were from Hong Kong, though their accents seemed Chinese. After giving them the initial $10, one of the women surprisingly asked if she could borrow several hundred dollars and offered to exchange phone numbers for the loan arrangement.

“It felt like a scam. I waved them off and quickly rode away,” said the man, who recalled a similar warning from his brother. When he attempted to locate the women shortly after, they had vanished. He has since filed a police report to alert others in the community.