12-10-2023 (SINGAPORE) In a shocking case of deceit and financial fraud, a married woman in Singapore managed to manipulate and deceive multiple men into falling in love with her and transferring substantial sums of money. Jocelyn Kwek Sok Koon, aged 49, succeeded in swindling ten individuals out of over S$880,000 (equivalent to US$646,000). Even while facing charges and awaiting trial, Kwek continued her fraudulent activities, duping her husband’s ex-colleague into giving her money.
On October 12, Kwek pleaded guilty to multiple charges of cheating in court. She appeared haggard and somber, wearing a mask during the proceedings.
The court heard that Kwek initiated a relationship with her lover and co-accused, 24-year-old Lai Sze Yin, in July 2016 when he delivered a parcel to her home. Despite being married with two children, Kwek began dating Lai. To conceal her real identity from Lai’s family, she assumed a false persona, adopting the identity of a young woman named Rachel Lam Xin Yi, who claimed to be a student at the National University of Singapore. Kwek never met Lai’s family in person but communicated with his parents over the phone, gradually gaining their trust by buying them gifts and convincing them to invest or provide loans.
Kwek succeeded in persuading Lai to deceive his parents and younger sister into handing over a total of S$150,000 under the guise of investments or a car loan. In October 2018, Lai’s mother reported to the police, stating that her son’s girlfriend had deceived her entire savings, and she had been unable to contact her for over a year.
Kwek also cheated her godmother, a 73-year-old woman, by requesting jewelry for cleaning. After receiving over 50 pieces of jewelry, most of which were family heirlooms, Kwek pawned them for S$48,250, using the proceeds to settle her personal debts. When her godmother repeatedly asked for the jewelry’s return, Kwek fabricated excuses. She only returned some pieces of jewelry that didn’t belong to her godmother and a few thousand dollars after being threatened with a police report.
Apart from Lai, Kwek targeted two other men who fell in love with her. One of them, a 35-year-old Certis Cisco employee, got to know Kwek when she sent an email query to Certis Cisco. Despite never meeting or having video calls, the victim fell in love with Kwek, who was perpetuating a love scam. She sent him photos she claimed were hers but were actually from a Korean blogger. The victim eventually realized the deception in June 2021 and lodged a police report.
Kwek also cheated a 66-year-old British man, a former colleague of her husband’s, who believed her false claims about needing money to claim her inheritance. She created an elaborate ruse, involving lawyers and forged documents, to manipulate the victim into giving her S$338,600. The victim’s mental health deteriorated, and he faced investigations by immigration authorities due to Kwek’s actions.
The third man, a 39-year-old salesman who worked at a piano shop, fell in love with Kwek after she portrayed herself as a wealthy person, showing him pictures of a luxurious lifestyle. Kwek manipulated him into sending approximately S$103,710 and taking loans from family and friends.
The prosecutor in the case has sought a lengthy jail term of 91 to 100 months for Kwek, emphasizing her deceitful pattern of targeting and scamming numerous victims. Kwek’s sentencing will be determined at a later date. Her co-accused, Lai Sze Yin, was sentenced to 15 months in jail in June 2021 for his involvement in cheating his family.
