After emptying his life savings, a 69-year-old man in Singapore sold two of his properties to continue giving money to a female employee.

He also took money from his wife, and when she ran out of money, he resorted to borrowing money from his niece.

The man gave the woman a total of S$3.7 million and now lives in a rented home with his wife.

Almost bankrupt in 2008

The 47-year-old Singaporean woman, Lynn Charlotte James, pleaded guilty and was convicted of five counts of cheating Mar. 4, 2024, CNA reported.

James began working at an unidentified real estate firm around 2006, where she reported to the man.

According to CNA, his name was redacted from court documents.

After running into financial difficulties, James was facing bankruptcy in 2008 before she devised a plan to cheat her boss.

Cooked up a plan

First, she would tell him that she had become bankrupt.

She would then lie to him that the Insolvency and Public Trustee's Office (IPTO) had retained funds in her bankruptcy estate before asking him for money so she could supposedly pay the IPTO and have the funds released to her.

The man fell for the lies, and she gradually asked for more money from him, telling him that she would return his money once the IPTO released the funds to her.

The woman also told the man that she could not return his money if IPTO did not release her funds, and hence, the man was convinced that he had to keep giving James money to recover the money he had given her earlier.

Forged emails, warned man against alerting the police

To make her lies all the more convincing, James forged emails from government agencies, such as IPTO and the Ministry of Law, and Attorney-General's Chambers and judges.

She demanded various fees to be paid to the IPTO in these fake emails.

James also told the man that his money would be confiscated and he would be unable to recover it if he stopped giving her money or reported the matter to the police.

Wanting to get his money back, the man emptied his life savings, sold his two properties, and asked his wife and niece for money to give to James.

He transferred her S$3,677,537.03 over 2,253 transactions over nine years from May 2008 to October 2017.

The niece reported James to the police, but it was too late by then, as the man had no more money left.

To be sentenced on Mar. 12

She initially denied her offences but pleaded guilty to five counts of cheating midway through her trial, which was delayed after she claimed she was suffering an asthmatic attack and could not breathe.

Shea also agreed for several other charges to be taken into consideration for sentencing.

James has not made any restitution. She apparently used the money to repay her loans from moneylenders and to settle her personal expenses.

Her sentencing is scheduled for Mar. 12, 2024.

Top image from Canva