I was asked to pay over $3,000 for my expensive "gift"

Anonymous | 07 May 2019

Internet Love Scam
I got connected to this via an app for some days. the day we finally planned to meet up, he urgently needed to catch his flight back to United States due to emergency call back for his promotion interview.

2 days later, he contacted me saying he successfully got promoted, and he wanted to share his happiness with me by sending some gifts. he wanted to know my size for clothing and shoes. an I gave him the information.

next day, he told he bought some clothes, and he wanted to send them to my home address. and I gave him the information yet again. 

next day, he mentioned he has arranged a parcel shipment with express delivery. he mentioned it would cost some money for the deliveries, and he inserted USD$1,800 to refund the custom clearance. I was online on live, so i immediately replied don't send it if he had arranged for such a big parcel to be sent to me.

A few days later, a guy, express delivery service contacted through whatsapp informing me that the parcel contained high value item and put on-hold for custom clearance. It cost S$3,500 to clear the customs. I asked for the shipping invoice and delivery note to understand what item it contained, however the delivery guy said no access such documents as the parcel has been hold at customs.

I immediately contacted the shipper (the guy contacted through online), to understand the details of parcel, and he mentioned some apple devices, clothes, shoes, watches and necklaces.  I asked why this online friend how come he sent such high valued item to me since we have not met each other at all, then he said he liked me. 
 
Both the shipper and delivery guy kept pushing me to proceed the payment to avoid further delay of delivery. And both of them said there was no way to reject the parcel receipt. again i asked the shipper why he pushed me so strongly to receive the parcel as I don't really understand the importance of the delivery made on the same day or next day.

Anyway, I trusted them and arranged a bank transfer of sgd3,500 to the bank account which they said finance team for them. the bank details i transferred the money to:

bank : posb
account : 056-45084-?
account holder : ng hwe? chen?

*** prior to bank transfer, i contacted posb (1-800 111 111) to confirm if this bank account is related to scam, however the telephone operator says they cannot share personal information ***

alternatively, the delivery guy gave another bank account for the payment

bank : uob
account : 457383548?
account holder : ng puay khin?

afterwards, the delivery guy asked additional fee of payment of S$15,500. By this time, I felt that something was really not right and told both (the shipper and the delivery guy) that I would report this case to the police.