In Malaysia, man duped out of US$6,000 in sperm ‘lending’ scam via fake Singaporean ad
The scam exploited the victim’s poor literacy and used a local law firm’s name to appear legitimate
A 49-year-old man lost 25,000 ringgit (US$6,000) to a sperm “lending” scam after being lured by an online advertisement offering payment to donors.
The victim, known only as Lee, said he was enticed by the ad that featured an image of an attractive woman, prompting him to submit his personal information online.
Subsequently, a person claiming to be a woman from Singapore named Chen contacted him on WhatsApp, falsely claiming that the sperm-lending scheme would involve sexual intercourse.
“Chen sent Lee an alleged picture of herself along with voice messages to enhance the scam. However, we believe the picture was likely taken from a modelling agency,” said MCA Public Services and Complaints Department head Michael Chong during a press conference on Tuesday.
Lee’s troubles began when Chen requested an initial payment of 1,000 ringgit to a local bank account, claiming it was necessary to connect him with her lawyer. After the payment, the supposed lawyer sent Lee a contract via WhatsApp, offering him 1 million ringgit (US$240,000) if he successfully helped Chen conceive.
The contract promised Lee an upfront payment of 300,000 ringgit once signed within 48 hours, and an additional 700,000 ringgit upon confirmation of conception. Although the agreement bore the name of a certified Malaysian law firm, Lee failed to recognise the signs of a scam due to his poor literacy.
