Madam Zhuang was worried about leaving her young son alone in Singapore. When she saw an ad on 11 June with the above tagline, she contacted the person listed on the ad in the hopes that she can return to Singapore.

She went to the address listed, and sought help from a Mr Goh. She told Shin Min Daily News: "He said he could help me, but needed $1,500 as administrative fees. He also brought out some documents to prove that he did help them to stay in Singapore, and that led me to believe him even more."

She gave him $400 as a deposit immediately, and paid up $1,100 more the next day. But when she did not hear from Mr Goh after paying him, she looked him up on Jun 16.

She said: "He told me not to bother him, and said he had written three letters to seek help."

But Madam Zhuang was still suspicious, and she brought two friends with her to confront him again the following day.

"He did not explain further, and even said 'So what if I cheated you, do you dare to report me to the police?

"I immediately made a police report after that."