Singapore actor Laurence Pang loses US$26,000 to 'online lover' scam in Philippines

Pang recounted his ordeal on Jan. 17 on the Filipino show "Raffy Tulfo in Action," hosted by the eponymous broadcaster-turned-senator.

He said he met a woman named Mika in late 2024 on PinaLove, a dating platform promoted as a site for foreigners seeking Filipina partners. Pang admitted he was charmed by Mika’s apparent interest during their online interactions.

"Being an old man, you know, when a young lady tells you, ‘I like you,’ (you’d believe her). That was stupid."

A couple engaging in an onine dating call. Photo by Pexels

Mika convinced him to invest thousands of U.S. dollars in what she claimed was an e-commerce business. He transferred the money to her bank account, and she created accounts for him on what appeared to be a Japanese e-commerce platform.

Initially he saw brisk sales on the site, but he said he soon realized he could not withdraw his profits.

"I cannot withdraw my money. So the sales kept coming very fast... But I believe that these customers were all fake, generated by the company to prevent me from withdrawing my money."

When he removed the products from his store, the website administrators reinstated them to ensure new orders kept flooding in. Realizing he had been scammed, he said he was stuck without access to his funds.

Tulfo told him on the show: "That’s the modus operandi of the whole scam. You’ve been scammed, I’m sorry to say that to you."

Pang later tried to video call Mika, only to discover that her online photos had been heavily edited, masking her true identity.

Philippine National Police Anti-Cybercrime Group spokeswoman Wallen Mae Arancillo told The Straits Times that Pang fell victim to a common scam targeting wealthy, lonely individuals. Scammers often pose as romantic partners to lure victims into fraudulent investment schemes, she said.

Arancillo confirmed that Pang traveled to Manila in December 2024 to pursue legal action. He submitted documents on Monday to request a cyber warrant, which could help identify Mika by tracing her payment service provider details.

Arancillo warned: "We want to remind the public not to easily trust people they just met online. You don’t know these people, and they can use dummy accounts to lure you into an investment scam."