SINGAPORE, April 25 -- A Malaysian chef who spent two decades working in Singapore has lost S$6,500 (RM21,000) after falling for a sophisticated scam promising to secure him permanent residency in the republic, as reported by Shin Min Daily News.

The 42-year-old, surnamed Lai, said the operation appeared convincing from the start, insisting: "The scam was so realistic, it wasn't that I was naive."

Originally from Perak, Lai had twice failed in his attempts to obtain Singapore permanent residency and decided to seek professional help. 

"I thought that maybe I had not done a good job and wanted to find someone professional to help me apply," he said.

In November 2025, he came across a Facebook advertisement by a company claiming a ...