From Tanglin to Tangle: TV Star Falls for Digital Love Trap

78-year-old Singaporean actor Laurence Pang lost $35,000 after investing in a fraudulent Philippine online business – a scam introduced by Mika, who Pang had met on dating site Pinalove in 2024.

Pang notably acted in TV shows Tanglin and Sunny Side up. He shared his experience on Filipino broadcaster and senator Raffy Tulfo’s talk show In Action.

After charming Pang – over Whatsapp and video chats, where all their interactions took place – Mika asked him to invest in online product reselling business.

Pang was instructed to send Mika funds as the platform needed to be funded before giving resellers an online shop and products to sell.

Pang later realized the products were being sold on a dupe of Rakuten, the Japanese online marketplace. However, Pang was unable to withdraw his money while there was an unfulfilled outstanding order. Orders racked up quickly, making him suspicious.

Pang believed that the orders were fake, intended to prevent withdrawals. He then removed all products to prevent new purchases, but new orders kept coming in.

A representative of the Philippine National Police call what happened to Pang a love scam, where victims are often encouraged to invest in cryptocurrency after gaining their sympathy.

Tulfo said that Mika could be part of a bigger operation, and his team is assisting Pang alongside the Philippine police.

Read more details here: Singapore actor Laurence Pang loses S$35,000 to online love scam in the Philippines – CNA Lifestyle