Asia’s Tinder Swindlers Exposing Love Scam Rings in Cambodia.
In 2021, Singaporeans lost over 10 million to the pig-butchering scam, an emerging hybrid of romance and investment scams. Victims are groomed for weeks to months before losing their fortune in bogus investment schemes or illegal gambling sites.
Women make up more than 60% of the victims. As the scams become more sophisticated, so too are the targets, who are younger, and more educated. In this Special episode of Talking Point, Diana Ser enters the world of fake romance.
Why do women keep falling for it? Her investigation leads her to Cambodia, where she uncovers the shocking truth behind some of the men scamming women across the globe. Since the release of this programme, the Deputy Governor of Sihanoukville has written to Talking Point to say that all cases of frauds and scams reported by victims are thoroughly investigated by police with full confidentiality.
The Governor also says police are unable to take action if such crimes are unreported or are lacking in evidence.