Interior design boss loses $7,000 to bulk order scam while discussing deal on ‘school project’

SINGAPORE – A woman who thought she could earn $5,000 in commission within hours ended up losing $7,000 to a bulk order scam.

All Ms Christina Heng, a director of an interior design company, had to do was to transfer a $7,000 deposit to a “Malaysian supplier” for 60 mattresses. She was supposedly paying this deposit on behalf of “Dunman High School”.

A man claiming to be from the school had contacted her by phone, seemingly for renovation works in the school. The man, a “Mr Lee”, subsequently asked her to order the mattresses, which cost about $30,000, for the school.

After eventually paying the deposit via bank transfer, she waited for the school to transfer the $30,000 to her bank account. But this never happened.

By the time she realised it was a scam, there was no way for her to get back the $7,000 deposit she had paid to the “Malaysian supplier” who was part of the scam.

Ms Heng, 53, posted about her experience on Facebook on Oct 15.

On Oct 16, she told The Straits Times: “I thought it was a blessing because in the last two months, I did not have any projects to work on. My commission was supposed to be $5,000 for the purchase of the mattresses.”

She said the “school” had asked for her bank account and said it had transferred $29,400 to her.

But the money transfer – for the 60 mattresses at $490 each – was a ploy because no fund transfer was made to her bank account.

Ms Heng was first contacted by Mr Lee on Oct 13.

While arrangements were being made for a “meeting” on Oct 15 with the school principal to discuss the project, Mr Lee asked Ms Heng if she had contacts for mattresses.

While surprised by the request, she said: “I didn’t think anything was suspicious because I thought the school needed the mattresses for physical education lessons.”

She told ST that while she was aware of bulk order scams, the scheduled meeting with the principal gave her the confidence that the project and mattress purchase were legitimate.

Mr Lee then gave her the contact number of the Malaysian mattress supplier.

Ms Heng wrote in her Facebook post: “Because the principal had an issue with that supplier, they could not deal directly, so he (Mr Lee) needed my help to place the order on behalf of the school.”

On Oct 15, Ms Heng spoke to the supplier who told her he could not deliver the mattresses without payment but added that he would give her a discount.

She said Mr Lee told her to get the mattresses quickly as an inspector was visiting the school on Oct 15, the day of the supposed meeting with the principal.

When Ms Heng did not receive any money transfer from the school, she told the supplier the deal was off.

The supplier then told her to pay half the amount as a deposit. When she said she could only raise $7,000, he replied: “I’ll take it.”

After transferring the $7,000 to the supplier on Oct 15, Ms Heng found it unusual that Mr Lee had sent her a screenshot of an apparent bank transfer of $73,500 to her account for another 150 mattresses.

A check of her bank account revealed there was no such transfer. It was then she realised she had been duped.

She called the school to verify Mr Lee’s identity but was devastated when she learnt there was no such person.

By then, it was too late for her to stop the $7,000 transfer.

Ms Heng made a police report on the afternoon of Oct 15. The police confirmed the report and told ST investigations are ongoing.

“I should have waited or checked with the school to verify the claims made (by Mr Lee),” she said. “I was too anxious to strike the deal, but luckily I lost a small amount.”

ST has contacted the school for comment.

There has been a recent spate of bulk order scams here.

On Sept 8, nasi lemak eatery Sedap! in Novena was contacted by a man claiming to be from Bedok army camp. He ordered about $1,600 worth of food and drinks to be delivered for lunch the next day.

But the man did not show up or make any payment. Fortunately, the eatery owner was able to sell the uncollected food to his customers.

On Sept 11, Yi Jia Bakery in Upper Thomson Road faced a similar ruse when an “army officer”, supposedly from Bedok army camp, called to place an urgent order for pastries worth $1,500 for an event the next day.

The bakery owner became suspicious the next day when the officer’s colleague asked her to contact a supplier of ready-to-eat meals.

She refused and threatened to call the police if payment was not made. She then lost contact with both men and earlier text messages to her were deleted.

On Oct 1, a foreign student, who sold her bank account, which was later used by criminals to receive money from a bulk order scam victim, was sentenced to

and two weeks’ jail.

The victim, who owns Karu’s Indian Banana Leaf Restaurant, fell for a scam involving biryani meals ordered by a man from “Stagmont Camp”.

Sri Lankan national Rajadi Rajasinghe Manamendra Patabadilage Vishwa Madavi, 22, pleaded guilty to one charge under the Computer Misuse Act.

Her conviction marks the first prosecution related to the recent spate of bulk order scams, which have been in the news after several businesses 

Since May,

, said Minister of State for Home Affairs Goh Pei Ming in Parliament on Sept 26.

He said: “This scam variant is not new, but since May 2025, the police have actually seen a recent re-emergence of a number of these kinds of scams.”

Mr Goh added that scammers have been impersonating Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) personnel or school teachers. As at Sept 19, 

to such scams have been arrested.