S’pore woman who passed in 2023, reportedly invested S$50,000 in alleged pyramid scheme in China

A woman in her sixties who passed away in 2023 was reportedly subjected to alleged pyramid scheme activities and invested S$50,000 after a trip to Nanning, Guangxi, China.

Her son, Zhang (not his real name), 30, is apparently attempting to recover the money invested, Shin Min Daily News reported.

Trip

Zhang told Shin Min that his mother attended gatherings at a recreational club in Singapore.

She apparently met a man who claimed there was an investment opportunity in Nanning and invited her on a five-day trip there.

The man reportedly said that the Chinese government planned to turn Nanning into a developed city with skyscrapers and called it “China’s Southeast Asia”.

The man apparently told her that other trip expenses would be covered and that she would only need to pay for airfare.

Zhang said his mother was interested and decided to go on the trip in 2019.

He also accompanied her.

“We were taken to visit various projects and look at different real estate properties. Every day was packed with activities, and there was a constant barrage of information, leaving you no room to think." Zhang said.

The pair reportedly stayed in a luxury apartment rented by Singaporeans.

During the trip, at least seven Singaporeans apparently gave lectures and shared their experiences regarding the pyramid scheme.

They also purportedly said that if the scheme failed, they would refund them.

Invest

On the last day of the trip, the woman decided to invest S$50,000 into the scheme.

There was apparently a “next of kin” system where, if the investor passed away, their next of kin could inherit the money and continue participating in the scheme.

“My mother believed them without question.” Zhang said.

Zhang claimed that she was usually cautious with money, and he apparently attempted to dissuade her.

However, she was reportedly insistent and became angry with him.

“In the end I gave in and accompanied her to a local bank to make the transfer," Zhang said.

Zhang added that an operator from Shanghai, China, also asked her to recruit others to join the scheme for profit.

However, she could not convince anyone and made no profit.

Passing

After the woman passed, Zhang apparently attempted to recover the money invested.

He purportedly contacted the operator, who sent him a receipt reportedly saying it was enough to prove the woman was a participant in the scheme and that the money was not missing.

However, the operator refused to refund the money.

Zhang said he plans to contact the bank to trace the woman’s transaction history.

Club

The head of the recreation club told Shin Min she received no reports of members being involved in the pyramid scheme.

Lin also said the club only serves as a platform for senior citizens to get together and prohibits any marketing-related activities.

Pyramid scheme

This follows reports of pyramid scheme activities occurring in China.

On Sep. 4, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said that 52 Singaporeans were arrested and detained in Guangxi, following a law enforcement operation against suspected pyramid scheme activities and related offences.

https://mothership.sg/2026/09/singaporeans-arrested-china-pyramid-scheme

Zhang also claimed the trip was “just like in the news”.

He hopes to share his experiences to warn other senior citizens to be vigilant.