Actresses among those scammed by ‘heartless con artist’ who cheated 2 other victims of more than $2.1m

SINGAPORE – A woman whom the prosecution described as a “heartless con artist” cheated two people out of more than $2.1 million by using fictitious investment schemes involving foreign currency exchange.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Jonathan Tan said in his submissions: “They were so deceived that they not only parted with their own funds, but also obtained funds from their friends and family due to a genuine belief in the accused’s false representations.

“The accused used (the monies) for her own expenses and did not make any restitution to the victims, causing them to suffer debilitating losses that they are still grappling with to date.”

Wu Hong, 41, was sentenced to 12 years’ jail on Tuesday. District Judge Soh Tze Bian had earlier convicted her of five cheating charges after a trial.

The Chinese national, who committed the offences between 2016 and 2019, dishonestly induced Mr Tam Kwong Yoeng, 50, to deliver a total of more than $1.4 million and duped Ms Soh Choon Heong, 61, into handing over $734,000.

Wu, who has no known employment, got to know Mr Tam at a pub in 2013, and was introduced to Ms Soh by a fengshui master on an unspecified date.

DPP Tan said Wu deceived them with fictitious investment schemes to provide visitors who are Chinese nationals with Singapore currency for their expenditure here, particularly for gambling in local casinos.

“She had enticed them to ‘invest’ with her by purporting to offer attractive returns,” he added.

According to court documents, two prominent media personalities, identified as Tan Lee Peng (Chen Liping) and Lim Mooi Keow (Lin Meijiao), gave Ms Soh a total of around $460,000 to invest with Wu. The prosecutor told Judge Soh that Wu’s representations were false because the purported investment schemes did not exist.

DPP Tan added: “She also had no explanation (as to) why she failed to provide any information about her alleged clients on whose behalf she claimed to have gambled for, both in her statements and at trial.”

During the trial, Mr Tam testified that Wu had dishonestly duped him into handing over the monies by using two schemes. He also said he persisted in giving money to Wu because he trusted her.