S'pore man, 27, posed as woman on dating apps to lure victims into rigged mahjong games, gets 2 years' jail

A 27-year-old Singaporean man who devised a scheme to cheat victims of their money by having them sit in rigged mahjong games was sentenced to two years' jail on Nov. 5.

Marcus Ang Yi Sheng pleaded guilty to eight of 41 charges, including multiple counts of conspiring to cheat, criminal intimidation and gambling-related offences.

The remaining charges were taken into consideration during sentencing.

The group is estimated to have made about S$100,000 from the scheme.

How the scheme worked

From April 2024, Ang created fake profiles on dating apps such as OkCupid and Tinder, posing as a woman, according to court documents seen by Mothership.

He then chatted with victims and invited them to play mahjong.

Once a victim agreed, one of Ang's female accomplices would pose as the woman in the profile, and either host the game or act as the victim's "date".

According to a report by CNA, the games were held at locations including a Housing Board flat and SAFRA Toa Payoh.

The other players at the table were all co-conspirators, who colluded to make sure the victim lost.

Each player had a role depending on where they sat:

• One player would "defend" against the victim;
• Another would complete a winning hand as quickly as possible, or "throw" tiles to the third player; and
• The third would aim for the biggest hand possible to maximise winnings from the victim.

Ang also set up a WhatsApp group to coordinate games and hand out commissions.

He paid each co-conspirator a commission of S$300 to S$500 per scheme.

At least 28 victims

No fewer than 28 games involving at least 28 different victims were arranged between April and June 2024, according to court documents.

Ang was assigned to play in 18, but subsequently only took part in 12.

After losing a game, one victim was pressured to pay S$26,000.

If he did not, Ang threatened to go to his workplace and report him to the police for allegedly raping an accomplice.

The victim later filed a police report.

Ang was arrested in June 2024 and released on bail, reported CNA.

However, he was remanded again after re-offending.

Though he was offered bail, he reoffended again and was remanded once more.

Sentencing

The prosecution sought 25 to 27 months' jail for Ang, along with a S$15,000 fine.

Meanwhile, his lawyer asked for 19 to 21 months' jail with a fine of S$15,000.

Earlier in October 2026, one of Ang's co-conspirators, 31-year-old Olivia Chin Hui Zhen, was sentenced to eight months' imprisonment and fined S$3,000.

She pleaded guilty to four charges of conspiracy to cheat and one charge of unlawful gambling, with another 32 charges taken into consideration.

The cases involving the rest of the group are still pending.

For conspiracy to cheat, an offender can be jailed for up to 10 years and fined.

For unlawful gambling, an offender can receive up to six months' jail, fined up to S$10,000, or both.

For organising unlawful gambling, an offender can be jailed for up to seven years and fined up to S$500,000.