78-year-old Singaporean actor Laurence Pang was involved in an online scam causing him to lose some S$37,000. Apparently, he was duped by a woman named “Mika” whom he had met on a dating site. “Mika” using her charms and Mr Pangs attraction to her, convinced Mr Pang to invest his money in an online shopping business in the Philippines. This story is of course not new. The majority of victims keep it to themselves. Mr Pang is probably the first readily recognisable public figure to reveal his embarrassing ordeal in public.
Knowing that matters are out of the SPF’s jurisdiction, Mr Pang travelled to the Philippines, went on TV in Manila and recounted his ordeal during on a public service programme called Raffy Tulfo in Action. This reality TV show is hosted by Filipino broadcaster-turned-Senator Rafael Teshiba Tulfo nicknamed “idol”. On the show, Tulfo would invite regular citizens to air their grievances on various issues during a live broadcast. He would then engage either the parties involved or the authorities to find a solution to the problem.
Perhaps it was not planned by Mr Laurence Pang, but our local media quickly picked up the story and reported it. Things went viral and netizens went crazy with it, calling Mr Pang all sorts of names. Mr Laurence Pang dismissed these detractors as “keyboard warriors” but while I sympathise with him, it is obvious that Mr Pang is still very much “in the game”. Recent reports of anonymous seniors, both men and women, falling victim to love scams show that the digital realm that people of all ages are now forced to engage, has opened new doors to romance and even sexual activity among seniors. Victims may think that they are safe when they swear off digital dating, but it should be noted that offline love scams have a much longer history than online scams. Avoiding dating sites and “going physical” can still leave our seniors vulnerable.
Good luck and Happy Valentine’s Day, Mr Pang
For more misadventures involving Singaporean men and foreign women, check out my book.