Woman Loses $37,000 to Scam After Attempting to Order Thunder Tea Rice Online

SINGAPORE — Zhong Luo, 48, intended to enjoy a simple meal of thunder tea rice but ended up losing over $37,000 to an online scam. Luo came across an ad on social media for the Hakka dish on Sept 2, offering it for $7.90 with a “buy two, get one free” deal. Since thunder tea rice is hard to find in Singapore, she decided to order three servings for her family, according to Shin Min Daily News.

To place her order, Luo contacted the seller via a messaging app and was sent a link, supposedly to enter her delivery address. However, when she clicked the link, an app named “Grab and Go” was installed on her phone instead.

The following afternoon, Luo noticed her phone was overheating and unresponsive. Shortly afterward, her bank contacted her about a $6,000 transfer from her account. Alarmed, she asked the bank to freeze her account, yet by 6 p.m., three additional unauthorized transfers totaling $37,466 had been processed. Luo immediately reported the scam to the police.

Reflecting on the incident, Luo partially faulted the bank, suggesting they could have intervened earlier to prevent the full amount from being withdrawn. “If the bank had delayed the transfers, it might have helped reduce the loss,” she shared.

Financial Strain and a Cautionary Tale
The lost $37,000 represented the hard-earned savings of Luo and her husband, meant to support their retirement. With only six cents left in her account, Luo has had to borrow money from friends and family to cover immediate expenses, including her son’s $6,000 college fees and $2,500 for insurance due this month.

Determined to prevent others from falling into the same trap, Luo shared her story as a warning and even managed to help two friends avoid falling for the same scam after they saw the same thunder tea rice advertisement.