Woman accuses Mediacorp artiste Shaun Chen of scamming her & threatens his family, actor files police report

Mediacorp artiste Shaun Chen filed a report with the police after he was harassed online by a stranger who accused him of scamming her.

According to the Chinese language daily Shin Min Daily News, the incident came to light after Chen reposted an Instagram Story by his wife, Celine Chin, on Mar. 9.

The post showed screenshots of chat logs between Chen and a female user who sent a series of messages, including insults and threats directed at him and his family.

Chen said the user had been messaging him on Facebook since Feb. 17, sending multiple messages containing what he described as "unhinged" accusations and questions.

He and Chin have two daughters aged eight and 10, and the family lives in Johor Bahru.

Accused Chen of swindling money

In an interview with Shin Min, Chen revealed he initially ignored and blocked the female user.

However, the user continued to contact him via voice messages, and subsequently began sending more emotionally charged messages to his wife.

According to the screenshots, the user accused Chen of swindling money, all while using abusive language and threatening his family.

He said he lodged an online police report on Mar. 10, but does not plan to pursue legal action as of yet.

"It doesn’t matter when I occasionally encounter netizens who criticise or scold me," he said. “But dragging my family into it and cursing them is unacceptable.”

However, since the incident was brought to public attention, neither Chen nor his wife received further messages from the user.

Hopes the user will lodge a police report if she had been scammed

Chen told Shin Min he believes the user may have fallen victim to an online scam in which someone impersonated him using his photo or identity, leading her to wrongly assume he was involved.

He also said he did not attempt to engage directly with the user to clarify the situation.

"She may think I want to be in contact with her if I inquire further, making the situation worse," he said, adding that he felt it was better to avoid communicating with her.

The actor also told Shin Min that he hopes the user will lodge a police report if she had indeed been scammed and allow authorities to investigate the matter.

Chen added that he plans to be more cautious when attending public events from now on, as he is concerned the woman may attempt to confront him in person.

He has also advised his wife and daughters to remain vigilant.

“We haven’t done anything wrong, so we’re not afraid. But we’ll still be extra careful," Chen said.

Top photos from @shaunchenhongyu/Instagram