*Elderly Woman Spends S$70,000 on "Traditional Chinese Medicine" and Another S$30,000 to "Share" on Stage*
Shin Ming Daily News
2025-11-16
Translated by Doubao AI app (a product of *ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok and Douyin* .)
https://e-paper.sph.com.sg/ccidist-ws/sph/sm/issues/10085/OPS/GQCM6VBD.1%2BGSIMLN51.1.html?rev=2025-11-16T13%3A30%3A04%2B08%3A00
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Son Suspects Fraud and Alerts Police
Elderly Woman Spends S$70,000 on "Traditional Chinese Medicine" and Another S$30,000 to "Share" on Stage
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An elderly woman with hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and hyperglycemia (three highs) spent S$70,000 on "traditional Chinese medicine (TCM)" after seeing an online advertisement, and was later persuaded to pay S$30,000 to sign up for a stage "sharing" session. Her son, suspecting his mother had fallen victim to a scam, immediately reported the case to the police, who have launched an investigation.
The 40-year-old son of the unnamed victim told this newspaper that his 75-year-old mother has long suffered from the three highs, and recently doctors have gradually increased her medication dosage, which has troubled her. In September this year, she saw an advertisement on Facebook claiming to be endorsed by Zhong Nanshan, a renowned Chinese respiratory disease expert, stating that there is a TCM product capable of curing diabetes, priced at approximately S$28 per box.
"She booked it via WhatsApp right away with cash on delivery (COD), and it arrived at home about four days later," he said.
The son added that his mother later received a WhatsApp call from someone claiming to be a "professor," who inquired about her condition and subsequently introduced more TCM products to her. For the second purchase, she was persuaded to buy around S$800 worth of medication, which also arrived within a few days via COD.
"Later, many Hong Kong phone numbers called my mother to check on her. Some introduced themselves as hospital directors, others as association presidents, and persuaded her to spend tens of thousands of dollars on TCM. In the subsequent five purchases, my mother spent between S$12,000 and S$15,000 each time, totaling over S$70,000 across seven transactions," he explained.
What puzzled him, however, was that all the TCM products his mother received were from different Chinese brands, and none bore Zhong Nanshan's portrait.
"She hadn't even finished the previous products when they started promoting new ones. If one medication didn't work, they would pass her on to someone claiming to be a higher-ranking staff member to introduce new products," he said.
The son lamented that his mother made multiple trips to the bank to withdraw money. On one occasion, when a bank clerk questioned her about withdrawing S$10,000, she made up a random excuse to avoid further inquiry.
In October, the person claiming to be the "president" informed his mother of an event planned to be held at the National Stadium Singapore in December this year, and that she had been selected as one of five guests to "share" her personal experience on stage.
"My mother was told that since she had no adverse reactions after taking the medication, they wanted her to speak on stage. The other party also said only 5 people were selected, including two government officials. To secure her spot, she had to pay a S$30,000 registration fee, and the company would also give her free medication," the son recounted.
He said his mother emptied her savings to pay the S$30,000, and on November 7th this month, paid an additional S$10,000 for more medication. The company later sent two bags of TCM products marked at S$20,000.
"I didn't know anything about this until my mother suddenly asked me to borrow money, which exposed the whole matter. I found it very suspicious and reported it to the police immediately, but the police later informed me that this couldn't be classified as fraud since my mother did receive the goods. However, I checked the prices of those medications online and found that most cost less than 100 RMB (about S$18.28) – the price difference is huge," he said.
When contacted, the police confirmed receiving the report and stated that the case is still under investigation.
1 Million Dollars and a Luxury Watch for Stage Sharing
The TCM company also claimed that if the elderly woman shared her experience on stage, she would receive approximately S$1 million and a luxury watch, but she had to pay an additional S$75,000 as "tax."
The son said the "president" told his mother at the time that if she agreed to speak on stage, she would receive up to 800,000 US dollars (about S$1.04 million) plus a Rolex watch.
Unexpectedly, after his mother paid the S$30,000 registration fee, she was told she had to pay an additional S$75,000 as "tax." The other party explained, "Because they need to bring the 800,000 US dollars into Singapore, so tax must be paid."
The son sighed, "My mother's savings are already exhausted. She had to ask me for money because she couldn't afford this 'tax'."
Police Recover S$40,000 from Shipping Company
A local shipping company is alleged to have assisted in collecting payments, and the police subsequently helped the elderly woman recover S$40,000.
The day after the interview, the son informed this newspaper that the police had retrieved the S$30,000 "registration fee" and the S$10,000 "medication fee" for his mother.
He said he had previously suspected that the shipping company responsible for home delivery and payment collection was an "accomplice," as every time his mother notified them that the money was ready, the goods would arrive the next day.
The police later told them that the two sums of money had not yet been transferred to the TCM company, so they were able to recover the funds from the shipping company. As for the remaining money, it is estimated that it cannot be retrieved.
Reporters from this newspaper visited the shipping company's address in Woodlands yesterday. A male employee confirmed that the police had visited the company earlier.
This newspaper later contacted the company's owner, Mr. Deng (25 years old), who also confirmed that the police had negotiated with the elderly woman to process the order refund and return the products. "Once we receive a fraud alert, we usually assist with refunds as a goodwill gesture."
Shipping Company: Only Responsible for Delivery
The shipping company owner stated that they are only responsible for delivery and do not participate in the communication between buyers and sellers.
Mr. Deng pointed out that they only handle delivery and do not inquire about the price of the goods paid by the buyer. However, they will remind buyers to be vigilant against scammers and ensure they are clear about the products they are purchasing.
"If they agree to receive the package and make the payment, we will not ask further questions, as purchasing goods and their intended use are also the customer's personal privacy," he said.
Chinese Media Reports: Zhong Nanshan Has Never Endorsed Products
It was discovered that some of the "TCM" products are actually gut-cleansing medications, and the elderly woman lost 8 kilograms after taking them.
The son revealed that his mother unexpectedly lost 8 kilograms after taking the TCM products. "I later found out that some of the TCM are for detoxification and gut cleansing. Coupled with the fact that she only eats vegetables and eggs every day, how could she not lose weight?"
The TCM products shown to reporters by the son include belly-fat reducing pills, snow lotus peptide tablets, and Tianyun capsules, among others.
"Some jars don't even list the ingredients. I'm very worried about my mother's health. I'm considering taking her to see a doctor for a check-up," he said.
According to Chinese media reports, Zhong Nanshan has repeatedly responded to online advertisements for health products claiming to be endorsed by him. He emphasized that he has never endorsed or recommended any products for any merchants, including e-commerce platforms. He hopes that platforms and merchants will handle the matter proactively as soon as possible, and that relevant departments will strengthen industry supervision to safeguard consumers' legitimate rights and interests.
Zhong Nanshan is a renowned Chinese expert in respiratory medicine and an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering. He was a leading figure in China's fight against SARS and the COVID-19 pandemic, and was awarded the "Medal of the Republic" for his contributions to combating COVID-19.
Reported by Wang Siqi and Huang Youjie; Photographed by Cai Zhenhong and Liu Qicheng
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