M’sian couple duped over $80k in S’pore PR application scam, payments demanded for language courses, donations
A Malaysian couple who worked in Singapore for years lost $80,000 to a scam involving permanent residency applications, where they were asked to invest, enrol in language courses, and make donations.
The couple received a letter with what appeared to be an “official authority” logo informing them that their permanent residency application had been approved.
However, they were also asked to make payments for various steps — such as “investing in a local company”, “enroling in language courses”, and “making donations and contributing to society” — in order for their application to be go through. It took nearly eight months before they realised it was a scam.
Ms Qin (transliterated), who is from Johor Bahru, Malaysia, told Shin Min Daily News that she and her husband had been working in Singapore for years and had hoped to obtain permanent residency to provide better opportunities for their child.
In April 2025, the 28-year-old came across a Facebook advertisement claiming it could assist with Singapore permanent residency applications and promoting “professional planning” and “a stable pathway”. The ad piqued Ms Qin’s interest and she later reached out to the advertiser.
The scammers first asked the couple to provide their work permits and identity cards. After confirming they were eligible, the scammers sent over an “application process and fee schedule”, requesting $100 per person in application fee, a $200 deposit, and a $1,200 “document verification fee”.
Payments repeatedly demanded from couple
After making payment, the couple received a letter the next day bearing an Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) logo, stating that their application had been approved and instructing them to attend an “interview” at the ICA building the following week.
“But on the day of the interview, they suddenly told us our documents were insufficient and we could not proceed,” Ms Qin said.
“They then asked us to pay $3,000 each to invest in a local company and $5,140 each to enrol in a language course to improve our chances. After that, they said the entire process was confidential and required a $2,000 confidentiality deposit per person.”
The couple emptied their savings in hopes of getting approved, only to be told that they had to “do good deeds” by “donating” $2,700 monthly for six months, as a contribution to society.
Ms Qin recalled that each time they made a payment, they would receive a receipt bearing a company name and address. “It was our first time applying, and the documents looked so real, so we believed them completely,” she said.
Towards the end of last year, the scammers told them that their application had been approved, but said they needed to pay $12,500 each to print their Re-Entry Permit (REP).
“They said this was the final step, and that without the payment, the approval letter could not be issued. We had no choice but to comply,” she said.
In total, the couple spent more than $80,000. After nearly eight months with no permanent residency granted, they realised they had been scammed and lodged a police report early this year.
“In hindsight, when they asked us to hand over cash in person, we should have realised something was wrong,” she said.
In response to Stomp’s queries, the police confirmed that a report has been lodged and investigations are ongoing.
‘The scam was never going to end’
Ms Qin revealed that part of the payments were made via bank transfer, while amounts exceeding $3,000 were handed over in cash, with different men turning up each time to collect the money.
She added that although they had paid for courses, they were never arranged to attend any classes. Whenever they became suspicious or wanted to withdraw, the scammers would resort to persuasion and intimidation, while refusing to issue refunds.
“They told us, ‘You’ve worked so hard and come this far — you’re not here to waste time.’ When we repeatedly asked for a refund, they even threatened to stop us at immigration checkpoints so we wouldn’t be able to continue working in Singapore,” she said.
Ms Qin said that after making the “final” payment, a “new staff member” took over the case and immediately demanded an additional $9,800 per person.
“That was when we became certain the scam was never going to end,” she added.
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