When a 49-year-old Malaysia man saw an online advertisement put up by "a buyer who is willing to pay a high price for sperm to get pregnant" in September 2024, he reached out to express his interest. Later on, a woman, who claimed to be a 34-year-old Singaporean surnamed Chen (transliteration), responded to the man, surnamed Li (transliteration), via WhatsApp, reported Sin Chew Daily . Chen then gave Li a number that belonged to "her lawyer", and the lawyer told Li that if he could impregnate Chen, he could receive an award of RM 1 million (S$309,439).
Chen and her lawyer subsequently asked Li to transfer RM1,000 (S$309) and RM24,000 (S$7,427) to them to "prove his ability and sincerity" and "to receive the upfront payment of RM300,000 (S$92,832)", respectively. It was only after the lawyer asked Li to transfer another RM30,000 (S$9,334) that he finally realised that he had fallen victim to a scam. Hoping to remind the public to stay vigilant against such online scams, Li publicised his ordeal at a press conference in Malaysia on Sep.
24. According to Li, Chen began setting up the trap when she approached him and introduced herself as the wife of a "rich businessman in Singapore", reported Sin Chew . Her only form of communication with Li was through text and voice messages, and she always used the pretext that "she was busy" to avoid video calls, which Li requested previously.
Li shared that he was aware that selling his sperm would involve engaging in sex, and he was "chosen" because Chen thought of him as "mature and level-headed" after they exchanged photos. As time passed, Chen began sending Li more affectionate texts, which included, "I want to be by your side because I worried about you so much" and "I really want to be there with you as soon as possible," reported Sin Chew . One day, Chen sent Li a voice message in Mandarin asking him to "transfer a security deposit of RM1,000 (S$309) to her lawyer's bank account".
She added that her lawyer would ask him to sign "a non-disclosure agreement (NDA)" and "pay him an upfront payment of RM300,000 (S$92,832)" upon receiving the transfer. Once the NDA was signed, she "would book a hotel" and "pay for their accommodation", recounted Li. Although Li had only spoken to the lawyer via WhatsApp and had never met them in person, he signed the NDA on Sep.
10 and transferred the sum to the lawyer's account. After Li fulfilled his "obligations", the lawyer suddenly added another requirement, stating that Li would need to "transfer a handling fee of RM24,000 (S$7,427) before receiving the upfront payment", reported Sin Chew . However, after Li complied and transferred the amount, the lawyer requested another transfer of RM30,000 (S$9,334), which would be used for "international transfers and handling fee".
The lawyer's capriciousness became a wake-up call for Li, making him realise he had been scammed. Li added that he had not shared his experience with anyone previously because he had signed the NDA, reported Sin Chew . This included his 19-year-old child, who he has been living with since his wife left their home numerous years ago and cut off all contact.
When asked whether he fell for the scam because he wanted to make money or he was lured in by Chen's beauty, Li said he "just wanted to help others" and "had never thought about making money". A legal advisor at the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA) Public Service and Complaints Department said the department had reached out to the law firm that drafted Li's NDA, reported Sin Chew . In response, the law firm said that it was not involved in Li's case and confirmed the fake contract was drawn up by scammers.
According to the NDA, which has a validity of 20 years, Li must keep all of his interactions with Chen and her lawyer confidential. Should he break the contract, the other party can confiscate Li's security deposit and "legal fees" and may even pursue legal actions against him. Top image via Sin Chew Daily.
