Joceyln Kwek faces multiple charges of cheating.
A married woman in Singapore has been arrested for cheating 10 people, including three men who fell in love with her. According to South China Morning Post (SCMP), 49-year-old Joceyln Kwek got the three men to transfer large sums of money to her. Shockingly, one of these individuals even deceived his parents, convincing them to part with their entire life savings.
Kwek amassed over S$880,000 (US $646,000) by committing these fraudulent activities. Even when facing legal charges and awaiting trial, she managed to dupe her husband’s former colleague out of S$338,600 by falsely promising to assist him in obtaining permanent residency in Singapore.
Kwek, now facing multiple charges of cheating, pleaded guilty during a court session, her face covered by a mask as she listened to the proceedings.
The court heard that she got to know Lai Sze Yin, a co-accused, in July 2016 when he delivered a package to her house.
Despite being married and having two children, Kwek began dating Lai, creating a fictitious persona of Rachel Lam, who was studying in the National University of Singapore, said the SCMP report. Although she never met Lai’s family in person, she skillfully cultivated their trust through phone conversations and giving gifts.
Kwek persuaded Lai to convince his parents and younger sister to hand over S$150,000 under the pretext of investments or a car loan. The deception came to light when Lai’s mother filed a police report in October 2018, disclosing that her son’s girlfriend had swindled their entire savings and had been untraceable for over a year. Lai was subsequently sentenced to 15 months in jail in June 2021 for his role in defrauding his own family.
Kwek’s deceitful actions extended to her own godmother, a 73-year-old woman. She manipulated her into surrendering over 50 pieces of jewellery, many of which were cherished family heirlooms. Kwek promptly pawned these heirlooms for S$48,250, using the proceeds to settle her personal debts. Notably, Kwek had been declared bankrupt in January 2014.
Despite her godmother’s repeated pleas and requests for the return of the jewellery, Kwek consistently invented excuses. Only when threatened with a police report did she reluctantly part with a small fraction of the jewellery that did not belong to her godmother and a modest sum of money.
In addition to Lai, Kwek also cheated two other men who fell in love with her.
