Woman questions if Cai Shen Ye selling ‘lucky numbers’ in Boon Keng is targeting elderly
A 30-year-old media professional has raised concerns after spotting a Cai Shen Ye, or the Chinese God of Wealth, mascot selling “lucky numbers” for S$2 at a hawker centre in Boon Keng on the third day of Chinese New Year.
In a TikTok post shared on Thursday (19 Feb), Renae recounted seeing the mascot roaming alone and offering sets of four numbers — commonly associated with the 4D lottery game — scribbled on scraps of paper.
Source: @renaecjc on TikTok
She questioned whether it was a scam targeting the elderly, or simply a hustle, captioning the post “Scam or nah?”.
Spotted on Day 3 of CNY
Renae told MS News that she saw the mascot on Thursday (19 Feb) at around 12.10pm.
She works in the Boon Keng area and was heading out with colleagues to buy lunch when the sight caught her attention.
“This was my first time seeing such a sight after working in that area for over seven years,” she said.
Initially, she assumed it was a festive roving mascot organised by a company to spread cheer. However, she soon noticed that the mascot was alone.
Picture courtesy of Renae
“There was no minder or assistant, which you usually would see,” she explained. “Like a proper staff member to help steer them around.”
She also assumed that the mascot was simply posing for photos with elderly residents.
But she then saw an uncle hand over money and receive something in return.
That was when she realised the mascot was selling something.
