Woman Loses $30,000 in Job Scam, Leaving Family in Financial Crisis

Aiming to earn extra income, a 42-year-old woman was deceived by a job scam, resulting in significant financial loss. JT received a WhatsApp message on September 17 from someone identifying as Ashley Tan from a local recruitment agency, The Supreme HR Advisory, according to her daughter Elaine Goh, who shared the incident with AsiaOne on October 2.

JT was informed that a company named Q00 Media was hiring for a part-time marketing role. Since she had recently shared her details on a job portal, JT thought the opportunity was genuine. Working as an administrative executive, JT hoped to supplement her income to cover her mother’s medical expenses.

The job supposedly involved helping travel booking sites complete “virtual orders” with the promise of earning 2-5% commission per transaction. The offer seemed appealing, with potential earnings between $200 to $500 daily. Enticed, JT accepted the role and was added to a Telegram group by another contact, Joanna, who provided instructions for transactions.

On September 20, JT began making PayNow transfers from her personal savings to an unknown number, completing 16 transactions ranging from $253 to $3,745 each. Despite frequent assurances from Joanna that she’d be reimbursed, JT’s funds were never returned. In total, JT transferred around $30,000.

As a final condition, JT was asked to transfer an additional $5,007 for “income tax” to receive her earnings and original funds back. Realizing the likelihood of a scam, JT halted her involvement, but not before borrowing $5,000 from friends to fund some of the transactions. Her daughter, 26-year-old Goh, explained that had they known about the job offer earlier, they would have cautioned her mother.

JT filed a police report on September 28, though updates on the case are still pending. Goh shared the family’s story on TikTok to raise awareness, detailing the financial burden now impacting them, including her grandmother’s medical bills, housing costs, school fees for siblings, and her own medical expenses. “Our income is limited, and my husband and I live in a one-room flat,” she added.

Efforts to reach Supreme HR Advisory were unsuccessful as Goh claimed her emails bounced. The recruitment agency had earlier stated on Instagram that they had “zero affiliation” with Q00 Media Pte. Ltd and advised the public to verify any suspicious job offers.

In a September advisory, police warned of scams that lure victims with easy commissions, urging the public to exercise caution, use ScamShield, and verify job offers through official channels. Job scams have cost victims in Singapore over $96.8 million since January 2023.