S’pore actor allegedly spotted at Nanning Ponzi scheme event offering free dinners
A Singaporean male actor was allegedly spotted at the Nanning Ponzi scheme event offering free dinners.
52 Singaporeans have been detained in Guangxi, China, over their suspected involvement in pyramid scheme activities. It could be the largest foreign detention of Singapore citizens to date.
According to Shin Min Daily News, several Singaporeans who had previously come into contact with the alleged pyramid scheme said many of those they met in Nanning were successful or held positions of status. These include a few television and film actors from Singapore.
Singaporean actor allegedly spotted
Last year, Zheng, 38, a livestreamer, travelled to Nanning with a friend. She told the newspaper that the five-day trip included visits to various development projects, as well as dinners and business banquets.
At one of the events, she said she spotted a male Singaporean actor.
Another woman, Chen, who travelled to China with friends in 2019 as part of a “Nanning business inspection tour”, also said successful Singaporeans were introduced at the dinners. She said she saw the same local male actor mentioned by Zheng.
“Although it was so long ago, I still remember because someone specifically introduced the man as a Singaporean actor,” said Chen.
Chen became suspicious of the scheme and eventually told the person who introduced her to it that she did not have any money with her. A friend subsequently paid the membership fee on her behalf.
When the company later held a membership induction ceremony, she said she again saw the same actor.
“My impression was that he seemed to be one of the people in charge of the ceremony, but I wasn’t sure what his exact position was,” she said.
No response from actor
The local male actor was alleged to have been among those responsible for the membership induction ceremony. He also frequently shares photographs from trips to China, including Nanning.
Shin Min Daily News contacted the actor via social media, but he did not respond.
His social media profile describes him as a retired Singaporean entrepreneur. Besides sharing posts about his fitness routine, he has also uploaded several posts about his travels in China.
In a video post about Nanning uploaded in 2025, he described the city as only a “second-tier city in China — a category the country uses informally for regional hubs that fall outside major cities like Shanghai and Beijing.
Surprised the scam still exists
Chen had first exposed the Nanning pyramid scheme seven years ago and prompted a crackdown on the network. At the time, the scheme allegedly claimed that an investment of $25,000 could yield returns of $4 million.
After learning 52 Singaporeans had been arrested in Nanning, Chen thought: “They’ve finally been caught.”
“But I don’t know whether any of those arrested know anyone (from the 2019 tour),” she added.
She said the friend who had invited her to join the “business tour” fell out with her after the news report was published and subsequently blocked her. As a result, she did not know what had happened to them since.
“Not long after I returned that year, the pandemic broke out. I was relieved that at least no one would be deceived into going to Nanning again,” Chen said.
“I didn’t expect that after so many years, this scam would still exist.”
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