A 75-year-old woman in Singapore has fallen victim to a sophisticated long-term financial scam, losing over S$600,000 (RM2.1 million) to an individual posing as billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk. The elderly woman reportedly began communicating with the fraudster through social media nearly four years ago before the interaction moved to the messaging platform WhatsApp. Throughout the duration of their relationship, the suspect managed to convince the victim that his business ventures were in dire need of financial rescue, prompting her to make repeated monetary transfers.
The scam persisted for several years, with the victim frequently transferring sums ranging between S1,000(RM3,500)andS5,000 (RM17,500) to various bank accounts provided by the imposter. These transactions continued until her total losses reached the staggering million-ringgit mark, nearly depleting her entire life savings. The elaborate deception reached a critical point when the woman reportedly considered selling her private apartment, valued at approximately S$2 million (RM7 million), to generate additional funds for the scammer.
Authorities finally intervened in April 2025 after banking institutions flagged a highly suspicious transfer attempt involving S$67,000 (RM235,000). Upon being alerted, the Singapore Police Force utilised a Restriction Order (RO) under the Protection from Scams Act 2025 to freeze the victim’s banking access. This legislative tool allows law enforcement to limit the financial activities of individuals deemed to be at high risk of falling prey to ongoing fraudulent schemes, effectively halting the flow of money to the criminal syndicate.
Investigations revealed that the suspect employed advanced tactics to maintain the illusion, including the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) during video calls to mimic the appearance and voice of the real Elon Musk. Despite the mounting evidence and the intervention of the police, the elderly woman remained under the emotional manipulation of the scammer. Her daughters, identified as Faith and Sarah Phua, shared that their mother initially refused to believe she had been deceived and even withheld her chat logs from both her family and the investigating officers.
The Phua family has described the police-enforced Restriction Order as a saving grace, as it provided the only successful barrier against their mother’s continued financial ruin. While the victim struggled to accept the reality of the situation, the legal intervention prevented the loss of her multi-million ringgit property. This case highlights the increasing danger of AI-driven “deepfake” technology in romance and investment scams, prompting a renewed warning from regional authorities for the public to remain vigilant against high-profile impersonation attempts online.
