Woman in conspiracy to cheat victims lured from dating apps to rigged mahjong games gets jail

The victim would be invited to a game where the other three players had been trained in mahjong and worked in concert to make him lose.

After meeting a "woman" on a dating application, the victim would be invited to a mahjong game that was rigged. (File photo: iStock)

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SINGAPORE: As part of an elaborate plan to cheat unsuspecting victims of their money in rigged games, a man allegedly posed as women on dating applications and invited potential dates to play mahjong.

When a victim turned up, the game would begin. The host and every other player had been trained for a specific role with the aim of ensuring the victim lost.

In total, the alleged mastermind estimated the total earnings across 19 games in 2024 to be more than S$100,000 (US$78,190).

Olivia Chin Hui Zhen, a 31-year-old Singaporean woman who functioned as host and player, was the first among the group to plead guilty on Thursday (Oct 1).

She was sentenced to eight months' jail and fined S$3,000 (US$2,350).

Chin admitted to four charges of conspiracy to cheat and a fifth of unlawful gambling under the Gambling Control Act.

Another 32 charges were taken into consideration.

The alleged co-conspirators are: Marcus Ang Yi Sheng, Jason Chin Yi Sheng, Kristy Tan Siew Boon, Leong Ying Liat, Penelope Kek Yong Ru, Chloe Low Zhiyi, Belinda Chee Yan Lin and Li Yongyi Joaquin.

The court heard that Ang allegedly devised the conspiracy around April 2024.

He created fictional dating profiles of women on OkCupid and Tinder, including a Telegram username on the profiles.

When potential dates contacted him, he masqueraded as the women and invited them to play mahjong, prosecutors said.

Once the game was successfully set up, Ang would allegedly direct one of his female accomplices to pose as the woman chatting with the victim and then host the game.

The games took place at various flats, including Tan's place as well as at SAFRA Toa Payoh.

Ang is said to have arranged four-player mahjong games comprising three accomplices and the victim.

The accomplices were to use fake names and relationships assigned to them. For example, they would sometimes pose as friends, siblings or strangers.

Ang also decided on the rules and rates used to calculate winnings for each session, said Deputy Public Prosecutor Gladys Lim.

He would also arrange for a reserve player who would observe the victim's style of play and inform the rest. The reserve would also take over if the main players got tired.

The more experienced mahjong players in the group, including Leong, would train the rest.

There were various roles - for example, one player was to defend against the prospect of the victim winning, another was to form a winning hand as soon as possible and another to throw winning tiles needed by another conspirator.

According to Ang, this allowed them to win 99 per cent of the time, said the prosecution.

Ang set up a WhatsApp group chat where he disseminated information about the games to the accomplices, as well as ground rules.

The players were not to use their phones or be distracted during the games, and they were to turn over all winnings to Ang who would then hand them commissions of between S$300 and S$500 per session.

Chin's role was to host the games, act as a player, or pretend to cover half the victim's owed sums, in order to get him to cough up more money.

In total across the group, 28 games involving 28 victims were arranged between April and June in 2024.

However, only 19 of these games proceeded.

Chin took part in 10 of these games, earning S$100 to more than S$400 per game.

One victim was told he had to pay S$26,000 after losing, but he refused and paid only a portion of this.

The rest continued pressuring him to pay up, and Chin offered to pay half on his behalf since she had invited him.

This did not succeed and Ang allegedly threatened to go to the victim's workplace if he did not pay up.

The case was later brought to police attention when a victim lodged a report.

Chin was arrested in early June 2024.

SENTENCING ARGUMENTS

The prosecution sought nine-and-a-half months' jail and a fine of S$3,000 for Chin.

Her lawyers, Mr Johannes Hadi and Ms Seraphine Loh from Eugene Thuraisingam Asia, sought four months' jail and a fine of S$1,000.

Mr Hadi said his client had made full restitution for the games she was involved in, even though she had received only a portion of winnings from each game.

She was also the first to plead guilty and was in the lowest tier of culpability, argued the lawyer.

He said Ang had the highest culpability as the mastermind and designer of the scheme, while more experienced mahjong players were in the middle category.

Mr Hadi said his client did not conceive the scheme and was a latecomer to the group when the scheme was already ongoing.

She also did not know that the games were rigged at first, finding out only subsequently, he said.

Chin also did not allow her photos to be used in the online dating profiles.

He pointed to Ang's own assessment of Chin's limited involvement in how she deserved less commission than the rest.

Mr Hadi said the prosecution's own documents described his client's role against the rest, yet she was placed in the same sentencing range as those with a higher culpability category.

Chin was the first to indicate she would plead guilty, said the lawyer.

"We say this shows the true remorse she has for her involvement in this game," he said.

"She was a latecomer to this. I think she got a little bit in over her head, and when the chips fell around her, she was the first to say sorry, admit her involvement in the scheme and step forward to take the full and appropriate consequences for her actions," said Mr Hadi.

In response, Ms Lim said the entire offending conduct relates to a conspiracy, and Chin was not as uninvolved as suggested by the defence.

She pointed to the number of games Chin was involved in, when other accomplices played much fewer games.

She acted on Ang's instructions and was not only a player, but a host in many of the games, said Ms Lim.

She also pressured victims to pay up by offering to make partial payment for them, she added.

EQUALLY LIABLE: JUDGE

District Judge Chay Yuen Fatt said an accused person in a conspiracy was equally liable, whether she was present or not.

He said the prosecution already accepted that Ang was the mastermind and Chin's culpability was lower, but not the lowest.

He said her role and culpability could not be understated.

"I would also note that her skills or lack thereof in the game of mahjong is also irrelevant. They each have their role to play, and her role is not to be skilled in the game, there are others more skilled and (they) would teach her," said Judge Chay.

He added that her culpability was reflected in the number of charges she faced, but took into account the restitution she had made.

He allowed Chin to defer her sentence by four weeks to settle her affairs.

Most of the co-accused are scheduled to plead guilty, except Li, whose case is still pending.

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

For unlawful gambling, an offender can be jailed for up to six months, fined up to S$10,000, or both.

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受害者会被邀请参加一场麻将游戏，其他三名玩家都接受过麻将训练，并会合谋让他输掉比赛。

受害者在约会软件上认识了一位“女性”后，会被邀请参加一场事先被操纵的麻将牌局。（图片来源：iStock）

这段音频由人工智能工具生成。

新加坡：一名男子涉嫌精心策划诈骗，在作弊游戏中骗取毫无戒心的受害者的钱财。他假扮成女性在约会软件上发布信息，邀请潜在的约会对象一起打麻将。

当受害者出现时，游戏就开始了。主持人和其他所有玩家都接受过特定角色的训练，目的就是确保受害者失败。

据这位所谓的幕后主使估计，到 2024 年，19 款游戏的总收入将超过 10 万新加坡元（78190 美元）。

31岁的新加坡女子陈慧珍（Olivia Chin Hui Zhen）担任主持人和选手，她是该团体中第一个于周四（10月1日）认罪的人。

她被判处八个月监禁，并被罚款 3000 新元（2350 美元）。

Chin承认犯有四项串谋欺诈罪和一项违反《赌博管制法》的非法赌博罪。

另有 32 项指控被纳入考虑范围。

被指控的同谋包括：Marcus Ang Yi Shen、Jason Chin Yi Shen、Kristy Tan Siew Boon、Leong Ying Liat、Penelope Kek Yong Ru、Chloe Lowzhiyi、Belinda Chee Yan Lin 和 Li Yongyi Joaquin。

法庭获悉，Ang 据称于 2024 年 4 月左右策划了这起阴谋。

他在 OkCupid 和 Tinder 上创建了虚构的女性约会资料，并在资料中加入了 Telegram 用户名。

检察官称，当潜在的约会对象联系他时，他会伪装成这些女性，邀请她们一起打麻将。

据称，一旦游戏设置成功，Ang 就会指示他的一名女性同伙假扮成与受害者聊天的女子，然后主持游戏。

比赛在多个组屋举行，包括 Tan 的住所和 SAFRA Toa Payoh。

据称，Ang安排了四人麻将牌局，其中包括三名同伙和受害者。

同伙们要使用假名和虚假关系。例如，他们有时会冒充朋友、兄弟姐妹或陌生人。

副检察官格拉迪斯·林表示，Ang还决定了每场游戏的奖金计算规则和费率。

他还会安排一名替补队员，负责观察受害者的打法并告知其他队员。如果主力队员疲惫不堪，替补队员也会上场顶替。

小组中经验较丰富的麻将选手，包括梁先生在内，会负责训练其他选手。

游戏中有各种角色——例如，一名玩家负责阻止受害者获胜，另一名玩家负责尽快组成一手好牌，还有一名玩家负责打出其他同谋者需要的牌。

检方称，据Ang称，这使得他们99%的情况下都能获胜。

Ang 创建了一个 WhatsApp 群聊，向同伙们传播有关游戏的信息以及游戏规则。

玩家在游戏期间不得使用手机或分心，并且必须将所有赢利交给 Ang，Ang 会向他们支付每局 300 至 500 新元的佣金。

Chin 的角色是主持游戏、扮演玩家，或者假装支付受害者一半的欠款，以此来让他吐出更多的钱。

2024 年 4 月至 6 月期间，该组织共安排了 28 场游戏，涉及 28 名受害者。

然而，这些比赛中只有 19 场得以进行。

Chin参加了其中10场比赛，每场比赛的奖金从100新元到400多新元不等。

一名受害者被告知输了钱要赔偿 26,000 新元，但他拒绝赔偿，只支付了其中的一部分。

其他人继续向他施压，让他付钱，而秦因为邀请了他，就提出替他付一半。

但这一举动并未成功，据称Ang威胁受害者，如果他不付钱，他就要去受害者的工作场所。

后来，一名受害者报案，此案才引起警方注意。

Chin于2024年6月初被捕。

论证的句子结构

检方要求判处陈某九个半月监禁和 3000 新元罚款。

她的律师，来自 Eugene Thuraisingam Asia 的 Johannes Hadi 先生和 Seraphine Loh 女士，请求判处四个月监禁和 1000 新元的罚款。

哈迪先生表示，他的委托人已就她参与的赌博活动进行了全额赔偿，尽管她从每场赌博中只获得了一部分奖金。

律师辩称，她也是第一个认罪的人，而且罪责程度最低。

他说，Ang是这起阴谋的幕后主使和设计者，罪责最高，而经验更丰富的麻将玩家则属于中等水平。

哈迪先生表示，他的客户并非该计划的发起人，而是在该计划实施后才加入该组织的。

他说，她一开始也不知道比赛是作弊的，后来才发现。

Chin也不允许将她的照片用于网上约会个人资料中。

他指出，Ang自己对Chin参与程度有限的评价，也解释了为什么她应该比其他人获得更少的佣金。

哈迪先生说，检方自己的文件描述了他的当事人与其他被告之间的冲突，但她却被与那些罪责更重的人放在同一量刑范围内。

律师说，陈女士是第一个表示愿意认罪的人。

他说：“我们认为这表明她对自己参与这场比赛感到真正的悔恨。”

哈迪先生说：“她是后来才加入的。我认为她有点儿深陷其中，但当事情败露时，她是第一个道歉、承认自己参与该计划并主动承担全部应有后果的人。”

对此，林女士表示，所有犯罪行为都与共谋有关，而陈某并非像辩方所暗示的那样置身事外。

她指出，与其他同伙相比，陈参与的游戏数量要多得多。

林女士说，她按照Ang的指示行事，不仅参与了许多游戏，还担任了主持人。

她还补充说，她通过提出替受害者支付部分款项来向他们施压，迫使他们还款。

法官负有同等责任

地方法官蔡元发表示，参与共谋的被告人无论是否在场，都应承担同等责任。

他说，检方已经认定Ang是主谋，Chin的罪责较轻，但并非最低。

他说，她的角色和罪责怎么强调都不为过。

“我还想指出，她在麻将方面的技巧如何也无关紧要。每个人都有自己的角色，而她的角色并非是要精通麻将，还有其他更厉害的人会教她，”蔡法官说道。

他还补充说，她面临的指控数量反映了她的罪责，但考虑到她已作出的赔偿，也情有可原。

他允许陈女士将刑期延后四周，以便处理她的事务。

除李某外，其余被告大多将认罪，李某的案件仍在审理中。

串谋诈骗罪最高可判处 10 年监禁并处罚金。

对于非法赌博，违法者可被判处最高六个月监禁，罚款最高可达10000新元，或两者并罚。

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