SG veteran actor Laurence Pang speaks out on S$35k love scam trap

Laurence Pang, a veteran actor renowned for his roles in Tanglin and Sunny Side Up, recently shared a cautionary tale on a Filipino public affairs programme about falling victim to an online love scam that cost him over S$35,000.

Pang, from Singapore, was tangled in the scam after being enticed by "Mika" - the alleged Filipino perpetrator - to invest in a fraudulent online platform masquerading as the Japanese eCommerce giant Rakuten. The scam unfolded through PinaLove, a dating website where he met her.

Pang recounted his ordeal in the popular Filipino show Raffy Tulfo in Action on 17 January, hosted by broadcaster-turned-senator Raffy Tulfo. The video, uploaded on a YouTube channel with 28.8 million subscribers, has received 775,000 views by Wednesday.

According to Pang, Mika used her charm to build trust, persuading him to join her profitable venture by showcasing fabricated earnings. She guided him through the registration process and convinced him to transfer funds for his reseller account on the fake Rakuten platform.

A strategic marketing scam

"How it works it that I joined as a reseller. That means the company has products for me to put into my shop. They will give me an online shop to put the products there," Pang said. 

The platform promised a 10% commission per transaction but required upfront payments for products. However, Pang was unable to withdraw his profits due to alleged "unfulfilled orders." He described the influx of fake orders as a deliberate tactic to lock in his investment.

"Before I can take back my capital and my commission, another sale came it," Pang said. "That condition I found later is that as long as there is an outstanding order that I have not fulfilled, I cannot withdraw my money."

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Pang noted that the site's structure appeared designed to manipulate resellers into repeated payments. Products he attempted to remove were allegedly reinstated by the platform's administrators, leaving him trapped.

"On the second, third day, I removed all the products so that no new purchases could come in, but I found out that there were still new purchases," Pang recalled.

The dark side of eCommerce

Originally planning to invest a couple hundreds of dollars, Pang ultimately lost over 1.5 million pesos (S$35,000) in cryptocurrency, Pang said.

A representative of the Philippine National Police Anti-Cybercrime Group, who joined the broadcast, confirmed this modus operandi, describing how scammers exploit emotional vulnerabilities to push investments in cryptocurrency or online businesses.

This incident highlights the dark side of eCommerce marketing tactics and the potential misuse of platforms to defraud unsuspecting users. Experts have warned businesses and marketers to fortify platform security and educate users about identifying authentic online marketplaces.

Pang has filed a formal complaint, with the Philippine police and Tulfo's team offering to assist in tracking Mika's whereabouts. As a gesture of goodwill, Tulfo pledged to sponsor Pang's stay in the Philippines during the investigation.

This case serves as a reminder of the importance of vigilance in the online space, particularly as scams increasingly blend with modern marketing practices, transcending national boundaries.

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE has reached out to Pang for comments.

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