Malaysian singer Winnie K breaks silence on falling prey to $116,400 scam
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Malaysian celebrity Winnie Kok said she wanted to alert other artistes to be careful when accepting job offers.
PHOTO: WINNIE K/INSTAGRAM
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KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysian singer Winnie Kok, known to fans as Winnie K, found herself ensnared in a web of deceit spun by a man claiming to be a “datuk”.
After promising her the role of an exclusive brand ambassador for a luxury property project, the con artist left her RM380,000 (S$116,400) poorer. She later lodged a police report.
Recounting her ordeal at a press conference at Wisma MCA in Malaysia, Kok said it all began in September 2023 when a close friend, who is a host, introduced her to a “Datuk A”, purportedly a property developer.
“He showed me his upcoming project and prospects, which my friend had previously mentioned to me.
“He even promised to make me an exclusive ambassador with a payment of between RM800,000 and RM1 million for a one-year contract,” she said on Oct 9.
Kok said she and Datuk A had a meeting after he returned from China in late September 2023, when he asked her for help.
“He showed me his WeChat e-wallet balance, which showed a huge amount of money, as an assurance.
“He claimed that he couldn’t access the funds in Malaysia, and hoped that I could transfer some money to start implementing the project,” she said.
Kok said she was hesitant at first, as the money was meant for her mother’s medical expenses. “I told him I was not comfortable because it was my mother’s medical fund; she has dementia. But he was very convincing. He said he would return the money in two or three days.
“I believed him and transferred RM30,000 for the first payment,” she said.
Kok said she had transferred some RM380,000 in total to Datuk A in a span of two weeks, before he “just disappeared”.
“I felt mentally unstable and got stressed out after losing all my hard-earned money. It took me years to finally have the courage to open up.
“I’m here today to share my story and raise awareness, to alert other artistes about the importance of being careful when accepting job offers,” added Kok.
Also at the press conference was Mr Alan Foo, president of the Malaysian Association of Arts, Live Events, Concerts and Festivals, and several Malaysian artistes who turned up in solidarity with Kok.
Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA)’s Public Services and Complaints Department head Michael Chong said the department has received many similar complaints since 2024 from victims who were mainly women.
“We at MCA, through our panel of lawyers and advisers, are ready to assist individuals who fall victim to such crimes, including (providing) legal and emotional support.
“I urge all these victims to come forward, don’t despair or take rash action,” he added. THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
