A woman is desperate to recover the $30,000 she lent a friend after being hospitalised following a fall in Bangkok.<\/p>\n
Stomper Chen<\/strong> said she lost the sum after \u201cplacing trust in someone during one of the most vulnerable periods of my life\u201d. <\/p>\n She had known the friend, Ray, for 12 years, but they had not been in contact for a decade until they reconnected at her mother\u2019s wake in 2023. At the time, she was divorced and unemployed. <\/p>\n \u201cIn July 2025, I started to suffer from depression due to sudden loss of my job after 18 years and had to sell my HDB flat,\u201d recounted Chen. \u201cI was under medication and not in a stable mental or financial condition.\u201d <\/p>\n She said Ray lent her $300 to help her pay for the legal fees involved in the sale.<\/p>\n \u201cI had no one to turn to,\u201d said the Stomper. \u201cNo parents, no siblings, divorced and no children. I really remember his kindness for helping me at my most difficult time.\u201d<\/p>\n A day after Chen received the proceeds from the sale of her flat in January, Ray started asking for a $30,000 loan. <\/p>\n According to Chen, he told her $10,000 was to clear his personal debts, $10,000 was for his daughter\u2019s school fees, tuition and insurance, and $10,000 was for a joint investment in a Japanese restaurant. <\/p>\n Ray allegedly promised to repay her $500 a month. However, Chen said she was initially hesitant as it would take about five years to repay the full sum.<\/p>\n The Stomper claimed he reassured her: \u201cDon\u2019t worry. Just treat it as you put your money with me. If in the future, you have any problem, at least you still have money with me, then I can help you. But I will try my best to pay you back as soon as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n Ray also asked for most of the money in cash. So Chen let him accompany her to the POSB branch at White Sands shopping mall in Pasir Ris to withdraw the money.<\/p>\n \u201cAt that time, under pressure and still affected by my medication, I was not in the right state of mind to make a clear decision,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n She said she took out $50,000, handed $25,000 to Ray and kept remaining $25,000 for her own expenses. She later transferred another $5,000 to his bank account, bringing the total to $30,000.<\/p>\n A week later, Chen said she found out Ray had backed out of the restaurant investment.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen I asked for the $10,000 meant for the investment to be returned, he claimed it was considered repayment,\u201d said Chen, who added that over time, he was unable to provide proof that the money had been used for his daughter or debts as claimed.<\/p>\n \u201cI told him nicely that I needed him to transfer the full sum back to me since I found everything was a lie. But he never wanted to do so and said there was nothing left,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Then in February, Chen suffered a head injury during a fall in Bangkok and was hospitalised for five days, incurring about $27,000 in medical bills. <\/p>\n When she turned to Ray for help, she said he replied: \u201cYou go hospital my problem?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI was so angry with him. I repeatedly demand for the full sum of money because now I needed it for my medical bills. But he told me that he had other people to pay too,\u201dshe said. <\/p>\n Chen said she had to use her reserve funds to pay the hospital bill. Ray also stopped responding to her messages.<\/p>\n \u201cNow because things got very nasty after how I was treated by him when I was in hospital, no matter how many times I messaged him, he wouldn\u2019t reply.\u201d<\/p>\n Chen made a police report on March 13. <\/p>\n In response to a Stomp query, the police confirmed a report was lodged.<\/p>\n On March 29, the Stomper went to Ray\u2019s flat in Macpherson but was only able to speak to his father after waiting six hours. <\/p>\n She claimed his father told her: \u201cIf you want to go to the police, just go.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe said he used to work as a loan shark when he was young. So going to the police was nothing,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n \u201cI cried and knelt down to beg his father to ask Ray to return the money.\u201d <\/p>\n Chen told the father she desperately needed the money to survive and asked the older man if he could transfer any amount to her, but he said neither he nor his son had money.<\/p>\n She said the father also told her: \u201cYou are the one who was willing to loan Ray the money. So you cannot blame anyone.\u201d<\/p>\n Chen said she is now facing serious financial difficulties. <\/p>\n \u201cI am sharing this not to attack, but to seek advice and awareness,\u201d she explained. <\/p>\n \u201cIf anyone has been in a similar situation or knows what actions I can take to recover the money, I would appreciate your guidance.\u201d<\/p>\n Have something to say? Join in!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Explore more on these topics<\/p>\n<\/div>\n See something interesting? Contribute<\/a> your story to us.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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<\/div>\n<\/div>\nFriend asked for $30,000 loan<\/h2>\n
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\u2018You go hospital my problem?\u2019<\/h2>\n
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\u2018You cannot blame anyone\u2019<\/h2>\n
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