Tricked by $6/kg Mao Shan Wang deal
The housewife, 50, was tempted by a Facebook ad for a stall called TMZ Fresh, Lianhe Zaobao reported. The promotion offered Mao Shan Wang durians at just $6/kg, and D24 durians for $3/kg.
Mao Shan Wang, also known as Musang King, is generally considered one of the most premium durian cultivars. During durian season from June to August, its price plunges to as low as $12/kg when there is a glut, though rarely lower than that (educate yourself on how to spot a genuine MSW here).
On May 4, Mdm Koh decided to order durians from TMZ Fresh for her family. After confirming her order, the seller asked for her mobile number and told her that a customer service rep will be in touch with her for the delivery.
Mdm Koh then received a call from the purported rep, who got her to download a mobile app called E2 Mall and make payment by keying in her bank account details on the app.
Scammers drained S$53,780 from her account
Mdm Koh told Lianhe Zaobao that she felt her phone “heating up” slightly after submitting her details, deducing that that was probably when the scammers got to work draining her account.
She only realised she was the victim of a scam the next day, when she tried to pay for a meal using PayNow and realised that there was not enough funds in her account. Upon checking, she saw that there were two unauthorised money transfers made the day before for $27,549 and $26,231.
A total of $53,780 — was transferred out of her account, leaving her with only $7. Mdm Koh immediately alerted the police and her bank, who are currently investigating the matter.
Regretful about her action, she also lamented to Lianhe Zaobao that those were the “most expensive durians” she had ever bought and that she did not feel like eating them anymore.
