S'pore man, 67, claims masseuse made him give gifts, makes police report & asks for S$1,500 back

The masseuse said she was trying to maintain an amicable relationship with a customer and broke off contact when he said he wanted to marry her.

Winnie Li | May 30, 2023, 12:03 AM

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A 67-year-old man who showered a masseuse with gifts over a month wants his money back after the woman cut ties with him.

He claimed he gave her gifts such as gold jewellery, cosmetics and bird's nest worth over S$3,000.

He lodged a police report and said he only wanted S$1,500 back.

How they met

The man, surnamed Li (transliteration), told Shin Min Daily News that he first met the 40-year-old masseuse, who hailed from Vietnam, when visiting a massage parlour near his home at Ang Mo Kio after suffering from a bone spur in his back in March 2023.

He said he felt pity for her after finding out she had a sick child back in her hometown.

"We often texted each other, but she only knows a little Mandarin, so we relied on software translation," the 67-year-old recounted.

Li said he visited the massage parlour almost daily from March to April 2023.

Gave her a bracelet he wore for 20 years

Over this period, Li said he gave the masseuse various items, including gold jewellery, lipsticks, perfume, and bird's nests.

He also gave her a consecrated bracelet he bought in Thailand, which he had been wearing for nearly 20 years, as a present.

Just as Li thought everything was sailing smoothly between them, the masseuse suddenly started to give him the cold shoulder and even refused to serve him.

He then realised he was "cheated" and wanted S$1,500 back — which he claimed was only half the value of the gifts.

Claimed she gave him "bewitching tea"

Li recalled that every time he entered the massage shop, the masseuse would serve him tea which she claimed was made from Vietnamese herbal medicine.

She said it was supposed to help alleviate his back pain.

In hindsight, he felt it was some sort of "bewitching tea".

He claimed that he would feel dazed whenever he drank the tea and agreed to all her demands.

Also lent money to the masseuse

Besides the gifts, Li told Shin Min that he had lent the masseuse S$2,000 and S$500 on two occasions, after she claimed that her child was sick.

He added that she even tried to borrow S$10,000 from him to open a massage parlour in Vietnam, but he didn't agree.

Li said the massage parlour owner eventually helped the masseuse repay the loans.

She said he forced the gifts on her

Speaking to Shin Min, the masseuse claimed she had never asked for the gifts, and Li forced the gifts on her.

"The ring and a pair of earrings he gave me were quite small, so I didn't pay much attention to them," the 40-year-old said.

She also claimed that she "unknowingly lost the items" and could not return any money to Li as she sent all her salary back to Vietnam.

Denied "bewitching tea" allegations

The masseuse denied Li's allegation that she had "drugged" him and explained she served him medicinal herbal tea from her mother.

She said Li treated her well and wanted to help him back in appreciation but reiterated that the tea had no "bewitching" effect.

Cut contact because Li kept "harassing" her

The masseuse maintained an amicable relationship with Li because she only came to Singapore not long ago, and he was a customer.

"He began visiting me daily and even said he wanted to marry me. He lost his temper when I rejected him," she said.

She emphasised that they both have families and tried to persuade Li to stop pursuing her.

When her efforts eventually proved futile, she cut off her contact.

Top images via Shin Min Daily News