S’poreans lured to join Nanning ponzi scheme with free dinners, $8 manicures, sprawling condos

The view from the condo complex where Singaporean public servant Alice (not her real name) stayed at during her trip to Nanning, China, in March.

Published Sep 05, 2026, 12:30 PM

Updated Sep 05, 2026, 12:30 PM

Singaporeans were lured to Nanning with promises of a lavish lifestyle, cheap living costs, and investment opportunities in a growing city, but many found it to be a ghost town and a ponzi scheme.

The scheme, linked to the 1040 Sunshine Project, involved recruiting others to recoup investments, with participants paying between $26,000 and $50,000 and facing pressure and restrictions during city tours.

Chinese authorities arrested 52 Singaporeans in Guangxi for pyramid scheme involvement; Singapore's MFA and SPF warned of risks in such schemes and ongoing investigations continue.

SINGAPORE – When Alice (not her real name) arrived in Nanning, the capital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, in March, she was impressed with the number of high-rise developments in the city.

The apartment the Singaporean public servant stayed in was about 2,000 sqft, and for rent at $500 each month.

Fellow Singaporeans there tried to convince her that she should live there - a sprawling development called Nanning Skyfame ASEAN Maker Town, where a full manicure service was S$8, Starbucks coffee was S$3 and a bowl of wanton noodles with 20 wantons cost S$2.

Except that when Alice, in her 30s, looked from the balcony, she saw low- and high-rise developments peppered across the city with little activity. Many looked to have been abandoned.

The city had promised much, and for the last 30 years, a number of investment schemes played into potential buyers’ fear of missing out.

Nanning had Foxconn, the factory which once employed 50,000 workers, where iPhones were produced.

But amid a United States - China trade war that saw Apple AirPod manufacturer GoerTek move from China’s Shandong province to Vietnam in 2018, Foxconn did the same.

In 2024, it left Nanning. Developers of nearby skyscrapers built for Foxconn employees could not sell their stock. The vast Foxconn site was also left empty.

But Alice and several other Singaporeans The Straits Times spoke with said they were sold on more promises by “recruiters”, who excitedly described the cheaper but more lavish lifestyle they can enjoy in an exciting city – the next Shenzhen, they were told.

There were significant plans for the region of more than 50 million people.

They include the Pan-Beibu Gulf Economic Zone launched in July 2006 to connect southern and southwestern provinces in China with ASEAN, and the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor (ILSTC), which allows goods to be moved from western China to ASEAN by road, rail, sea and, soon, river.

There is also the China-Singapore Nanning International Logistics Park, which was established in 2018.

It serves as a key node along the ILSTC passage, with a total planned investment of more than 10 billion yuan (S$1.88 billion) from Singapore shipping company Pacific International Lines and local partners.

But the lifestyle multi-level marketing sales pitch Alice and others received turned out to be a ponzi scheme, a variant of the 1040 Sunshine Project that started in 1998 . The scheme has seen many Chinese nationals convicted for their involvement in pyramid scams.

It also resulted in the murder of a recruiter in Malaysia in 2016 over losses suffered by investors.

On Sept 4, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) and the Singapore Police Force (SPF) revealed that 52 Singaporeans have been arrested by the Chinese authorities in Guangxi province over their alleged involvement in pyramid scheme activities.

They were nabbed as part of a wider law enforcement operation in Guangxi in southern China against suspected pyramid scheme activities and related offences.

Alice recalled that she had suspected it was all a scam when she looked around her.

“It was like an eerie ghost city. It looked like the construction of nearby blocks and units were halted halfway. The recruiters said there were neighbours, but other than the Singaporeans we were with, no one else was there,” she said.

A photo taken by Alice during her trip to Nanning in March. Alice recalled that she had suspected it was all a scam when she looked around her. PHOTO: ALICE

A photo taken by Alice during her trip to Nanning in March. Alice recalled that she had suspected it was all a scam when she looked around her.

Frank (not his real name) was in Nanning with his ex-colleague and his ex-colleague’s family in 2014.

He added: “They showed me a condo complex, which looked like a ghost town. They claimed the condo would be near an ASEAN village with pavilions representing Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia, and that this village will soon be a huge tourism spot.”

Like Alice, the retired engineer in his 60s did not throw in any money. None of the Singaporeans ST spoke with invested in the scheme.

Many others did, paying between $26,000 and $50,000 to enjoy the lifestyle.

The recruiters, also fellow Singaporeans, were never clear what the investment was for. Instead, they focused on how potential investors could recoup their money – by recruiting others.

They were told each new recruit – a close friend, parent, relative – was worth $10,000.

Alice said the first surprise was when she boarded the plane to Nanning Wuxu International Airport. There were many Singaporeans on the flight, and they all appeared to be familiar with each other.

She had agreed to travel there on the behest of a close friend, who insisted she see up close an investment opportunity in Nanning, Guangxi.

Curious, Alice asked for more information.

But her friend of 10 years said: “You don’t need to ask so many questions. Just follow me along to Nanning.”

Red flags popped up immediately.

The friend said everything was covered other than the air ticket.

“I wanted to take a different flight from my friend, as I found a cheaper option. But she insisted we must take the same flight, and we must arrive at the same time,” said Alice, who ended up paying about $900 for a round-trip ticket.

After they landed about four hours later, Alice was not allowed to go anywhere on her own.

Her friend introduced her to other Singaporeans at the airport, who welcomed her warmly and told her the tour of the city would start immediately.

Alice said: “Before we left the airport, my friend even asked me if I needed to use the toilet first because during the tour, they are not allowed to stop. She told me: ‘We cannot get out of the car at all.’”

As she toured the city in a luxury MPV, a guide showed her the older parts of Nanning before heading to more refurbished areas.

“They told me the plans they had for Nanning and asked me to be part of this growth. But when I asked more, they were secretive. They kept saying that I had to see for myself,” said Alice.

They then arrived at the condo complex later in the day. She was encouraged not go out and explore the city on her own, not even to shop, as there was “no time”.

“Everywhere I went, someone would follow me. Even when I needed to use the toilet, someone would accompany me. When I wanted to go shopping at a mall nearby, they didn’t allow me to,” she said.

During her five-day trip, she was made to attend mandatory sales sessions by Singaporeans. This would take place in the living room of one of the condo units, which had CCTV cameras everywhere.

“The pitch was to join them in riding the China wave. They positioned it as a plan B for Singaporeans, convincing us that it was tough for us to make a living at home,” said Alice.

The recruiters claimed the scheme they were promoting, which did not have an official name, was government-backed and showed potential recruits like Alice and hundreds more news articles of annual talks between Singapore and China, she added.

On her second night, she attended a networking dinner with around 400 Singaporeans and Singapore permanent residents.

There, she spotted familiar faces, including several female social media influencers, their partners, and a former chief operating officer of a popular Singapore restaurant chain.

“Their presence gave me the impression that the programme was established and credible,” she said.

Alice added: “At first, I enjoyed myself. I felt so sucked in, and whatever they said started to make sense.

“But as recruiters started to provide sneaky methods on how to convince my loved ones or colleagues to join this scheme, I snapped out of it.”

One way was to leave a box of cookies from Nanning at the office pantry, the recruiters said. “When a colleague asks where it is from, tell them about this place, get them to come along with you,” they said.

On her last day there, Alice paid $70 as a “promise fee” that she would invest $26,000 into the scheme.

“I paid the money because I started to be fearful for my life. It was so cult-like, everyone there was so hypnotised, with some even saying this scheme got them out of poverty. I thought that if I didn’t pay, they wouldn’t let me leave,” she said.

Back home, Alice’s friend pestered her to pay the $26,000, but she refused.

Paul (not his real name), a businessman, shared a similar story. He was convinced by his Indonesian friend to travel to Nanning in 2017.

“I was skeptical at first, but she was a very close friend of mine so I gave her the benefit of doubt,” said the 63-year-old.

To entice Paul to pay $18,000 to be part of what they marketed as an investment scheme, the recruiters paid for his accommodation and food in Nanning.

“The karaoke and the massage sessions were also paid for. So I knew something was fishy. The more you take, the more you feel guilty. That’s how they entice you to be a solider in the scheme,” he said.

Because of his reluctance to fork out the $18,000, Paul’s friend funded his entrance fee.

“I didn’t believe in it, but she wanted to embed me into the scheme. She believed I could sell. So my job was to recruit as many people as I could.

“In the end, I got four people I knew to Nanning and brought them around like a tour guide. But none of them joined. I had nothing to lose at that point,” he said.

But Paul later ceased his involvement in the scheme.

He said: “I did it at first not because I needed money, but because I was curious how it worked. But later I felt that something was not right. How can you enjoy something for free with no catch?”

The Singaporeans ST spoke with said the scheme may be embedded in Singapore.

Chow, a 47-year-old realtor, said he was approached by four people he knew from work who couched it as a way for him to meet successful Singaporeans to network. Another friend told him he could give property-related seminars in Nanning if he was not keen to invest money.

“The first time a friend attempted to recruit me was more than 10 years ago. More recently, two years ago, a contractor that I worked with tried to recruit me. This just shows how much of a long-running scam this is,” he added.

He said: “I’ve heard people put in $500,000 in and were unable to get it back. Getting someone to replace you in this scheme is as hard as getting someone to replace you in your coffin.”

Marketing consultant and author Adrian Tan, 47, flew to Nanning in 2018 after his ex-colleague persuaded him that he could explore business opportunities there.

The Guangxi Science and Technology Museum in Nanning. Marketing consultant and author Adrian Tan flew to the city in 2018 after his ex-colleague persuaded him that he could explore business opportunities there. PHOTO: ADRIAN TAN

The Guangxi Science and Technology Museum in Nanning. Marketing consultant and author Adrian Tan flew to the city in 2018 after his ex-colleague persuaded him that he could explore business opportunities there.

“I went in open-minded, but later became skeptical. For instance, they kept persuading us to invest, but there was no product to invest in,” said Tan, recalling that investment fees were between $30,000 to $50,000, depending on the membership tier.

During the trip, he said searched online for news of the scheme. Nothing incriminating came up.

He only realised it was a scam when he switched the search language to Mandarin and found multiple reports on this scheme.

Meanwhile, Frank said he met many Singaporeans and Malaysians in Nanning, many of whom were convinced to put in up to $48,000 to invest in the condo complex and ASEAN village before they become big hits.

He added: “There was no agreement, no documentation. All they said was ‘Just trust us’.”

The scheme has seen recruiters rope in Malaysians, Indonesians, Taiwanese and Chinese nationals.

Between 2016 and 2017, at least 10 Chinese nationals approached the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA) Public Services and Complaints Department for help.

One Malaysian paid with her life. In 2016, a 32-year-old Malaysian woman was killed while having lunch with her children in Kuala Lumpur.

Malaysian police said then that her husband had admitted to running a Ponzi scheme in China and had recently returned to Malaysia after making massive profits.

The victim’s family denied her personal involvement in the scheme in Nanning, but investigators said her husband’s operations in Nanning may have sparked retaliation from investors who lost their money.

The 52 Singaporeans nabbed in Nanning could be the largest foreign detention of Singapore citizens to date.

In their statement on Sept 4, MFA and SPF reminded Singaporeans travelling or residing overseas that they are subject to the laws of the country they are in.

Second Minister for Foreign Affairs Sim Ann reiterated that Singaporeans should exercise caution when considering business or investment schemes, whether overseas or local.

This is especially so for schemes involving the recruitment of participants, upfront payment of large sums of money, or promises of unusually high returns, she said.

Investigations by the Chinese authorities are ongoing.

Nadine Chua is a correspondent covering crime and court at The Straits Times.

这是新加坡公务员爱丽丝（化名）三月份在中国南宁旅行期间所住公寓的景色。

发布于 2026 年 9 月 5 日下午 12:30

更新于2026年9月5日下午12:30

新加坡人被南宁的奢华生活方式、低廉的生活成本以及在不断发展的城市中投资机会的承诺所吸引，但许多人发现那里是一个鬼城和一个庞氏骗局。

该计划与 1040 阳光计划有关，其目的是招募其他人来收回投资，参与者需支付 26,000 至 50,000 美元，并在城市游览期间面临压力和限制。

中国当局在广西逮捕了 52 名涉嫌参与传销的新加坡人；新加坡外交部和新加坡警察部队警告此类传销活动的风险，目前调查仍在进行中。

新加坡——今年三月，当爱丽丝（化名）抵达广西壮族自治区首府南宁时，她对这座城市的高层建筑数量之多印象深刻。

这位新加坡公务员居住的公寓面积约为 2000 平方英尺，每月租金为 500 美元。

那里的新加坡同胞试图说服她住在那里——一个名为南宁天空之星东盟创客城的庞大开发项目，在那里，全套美甲服务售价 8 新元，星巴克咖啡售价 3 新元，一碗有 20 个馄饨的馄饨面售价 2 新元。

然而，当三十多岁的爱丽丝从阳台上望出去时，她看到城市里零星散布着低矮和高耸的建筑群，却都鲜有人迹。许多建筑看起来像是被废弃了。

这座城市曾许诺了很多，在过去的30年里，许多投资计划都利用了潜在买家害怕错失良机的心理。

南宁曾有富士康工厂，该厂一度雇佣了 5 万名工人，iPhone 就是在这里生产的。

但在中美贸易战的背景下，苹果 AirPods 制造商歌尔科技于 2018 年从中国山东省迁至越南，富士康也采取了同样的措施。

2024年，富士康撤离南宁。附近为富士康员工建造的摩天大楼的开发商无法出售他们的股份。富士康庞大的厂区也因此空置下来。

但《海峡时报》采访的艾丽丝和其他几位新加坡人表示，他们被“招聘人员”的更多承诺所打动，这些“招聘人员”兴奋地描述了他们可以在一个充满活力的城市（他们被告知是下一个深圳）享受的更便宜但更奢华的生活方式。

针对这个拥有超过5000万人口的地区，曾制定过一些重要的规划。

其中包括 2006 年 7 月启动的泛北部湾经济区，旨在连接中国南部和西南省份与东盟；以及新的国际陆海贸易走廊（ILSTC），该走廊允许货物通过公路、铁路、海运以及即将开通的河运从中国西部运往东盟。

此外，还有于 2018 年成立的中新南宁国际物流园。

它作为ILSTC航道上的关键节点，计划总投资超过100亿元人民币（18.8亿新元），投资方包括新加坡航运公司太平洋国际航运公司和当地合作伙伴。

但爱丽丝和其他人所接触到的生活方式多层次营销推销，最终被证实是一个庞氏骗局，是1998年启动的“1040阳光计划”的变种。该计划已导致许多中国公民因参与金字塔骗局而被定罪。

这也导致2016年马来西亚一名招聘人员因投资者遭受损失而被谋杀。

9月4日，新加坡外交部和新加坡警察部队透露，52名新加坡人因涉嫌参与传销活动在广西被中国当局逮捕。

他们是在中国南方广西开展的打击涉嫌传销活动及相关犯罪的大规模执法行动中被抓获的。

爱丽丝回忆说，当她环顾四周时，她就怀疑这一切都是个骗局。

“那里就像一座阴森森的鬼城。附近的楼房和住宅似乎都停工了一半。招聘人员说附近有邻居，但除了我们同行的新加坡人之外，那里空无一人，”她说。

这是爱丽丝三月份去南宁旅行时拍的照片。爱丽丝回忆说，当时环顾四周，她就怀疑这一切都是个骗局。照片：爱丽丝

这是爱丽丝三月份去南宁旅行时拍的照片。爱丽丝回忆说，当时环顾四周，她就怀疑这一切都是个骗局。

2014 年，弗兰克（化名）和他的前同事以及前同事的家人在南宁。

他还补充道：“他们带我去看了一个公寓楼，看起来像个鬼城。他们声称这个公寓楼附近会有一个东盟村，村里有代表新加坡、马来西亚和印度尼西亚的展馆，这个村子很快就会成为一个热门旅游景点。”

和爱丽丝一样，这位六十多岁的退休工程师也没有投入任何资金。接受《海峡时报》采访的新加坡人中，没有一人参与该计划。

还有很多人这么做了，他们花费了 26,000 美元到 50,000 美元来享受这种生活方式。

这些招聘人员也都是新加坡人，他们始终没有明确说明投资用途。相反，他们着重强调潜在投资者如何才能收回投资——通过招募其他人。

他们被告知，每招募一名新成员——可以是亲密的朋友、父母或亲戚——价值 1 万美元。

爱丽丝说，第一个让她感到惊讶的是，当她登上飞往南宁五虚国际机场的飞机时，机上有很多新加坡人，而且他们看起来彼此都很熟悉。

她应一位好友的请求答应前往广西南宁，这位好友坚持要她近距离考察一个投资机会。

出于好奇，爱丽丝询问了更多信息。

但她相识十年的朋友说：“你不用问这么多问题。跟我一起去南宁吧。”

危险信号立刻显现出来。

朋友说除了机票以外，其他费用都包含在内了。

“我本来想和朋友坐不同的航班，因为我找到了更便宜的机票。但她坚持我们必须坐同一航班，而且必须同时到达，”爱丽丝说道，她最终花了大约900美元买了一张往返机票。

大约四个小时后，他们降落了，但爱丽丝被禁止独自去任何地方。

她的朋友在机场把她介绍给了其他新加坡人，他们热情地欢迎她，并告诉她城市之旅将立即开始。

爱丽丝说：“离开机场前，我的朋友甚至问我是否需要先去趟洗手间，因为游览过程中不允许停车。她告诉我：‘我们根本不能下车。’”

她乘坐豪华MPV游览这座城市时，导游先带她参观了南宁的老城区，然后前往了翻新后的城区。

“他们告诉我他们对南宁的规划，并邀请我参与其中。但当我进一步询问时，他们却讳莫如深，总是说我必须亲自去了解，”爱丽丝说道。

当天晚些时候，他们抵达了公寓小区。有人劝她不要独自外出游览城市，甚至不要购物，因为“没时间”。

“无论我去哪里，都有人跟着我。就连我想上厕所，也有人陪着我。我想去附近的商场购物，他们也不让我去，”她说。

在她为期五天的行程中，她被迫参加由新加坡人组织的强制性销售会。这些销售会在其中一套公寓的客厅举行，而这套公寓到处都装有监控摄像头。

“他们的说辞是让我们加入他们，搭上中国这趟顺风车。他们把这定位为新加坡人的备选方案，让我们相信在国内谋生很艰难，”爱丽丝说。

她补充说，招聘人员声称他们推广的这项计划（没有正式名称）得到了政府支持，并向像爱丽丝这样的潜在应聘者展示了数百篇关于新加坡和中国之间年度会谈的新闻报道。

第二天晚上，她参加了一个有大约 400 名新加坡人和新加坡永久居民参加的社交晚宴。

在那里，她看到了熟悉的面孔，包括几位女性社交媒体影响者、她们的伴侣，以及新加坡一家知名连锁餐厅的前首席运营官。

“他们的出现让我觉得这个项目已经成熟且值得信赖，”她说。

爱丽丝补充道：“一开始，我很享受。我完全沉浸其中，他们说的任何话都开始变得有道理了。”

“但当招募人员开始提供一些狡猾的方法，教唆我的亲人或同事加入这个计划时，我醒悟过来了。”

招聘人员说，其中一种方法是在办公室茶水间放一盒南宁产的饼干。“当同事问起饼干的产地时，就跟他们说说这个地方，然后邀请他们一起去看看。”

在她待在那里的最后一天，爱丽丝支付了 70 美元作为“承诺费”，承诺她将向该计划投资 26,000 美元。

“我交了钱，因为我开始担心自己的生命安全。那里简直像邪教一样，每个人都像被催眠了一样，有些人甚至说这个项目让他们摆脱了贫困。我想，如果我不交钱，他们就不会让我离开，”她说。

回到家后，爱丽丝的朋友一直缠着她要26000美元，但她拒绝了。

商人保罗（化名）的经历与此类似。2017年，他被一位印尼朋友说服，前往南宁旅行。

“我一开始有些怀疑，但她是我非常亲密的朋友，所以我还是相信了她，”这位63岁的老人说道。

为了诱使保罗支付 18,000 美元参与他们所宣传的投资计划，招募人员支付了他在南宁的住宿和伙食费。

“卡拉OK和按摩也都是付费的。所以我知道事情不对劲。你接受得越多，就越有负罪感。他们就是这样引诱你成为这个骗局的帮凶，”他说。

由于保罗不愿支付18000美元，他的朋友资助了他参赛费用。

“我并不相信这个计划，但她想让我加入其中。她相信我能推销产品。所以我的工作就是尽可能多地招募人手。”

“最后，我找了四个认识的人到南宁，像导游一样带着他们四处游览。但他们都没跟团。当时我已经没什么可失去的了。”他说。

但保罗后来停止了参与该计划。

他说：“我一开始这么做不是因为缺钱，而是因为我好奇它是怎么运作的。但后来我觉得有些不对劲。怎么能毫无条件地享受免费的东西呢？”

《海峡时报》采访的新加坡人表示，该计划可能会在新加坡实施。

47岁的房地产经纪人周先生表示，有四位他认识的同事找到他，告诉他这是个结识新加坡成功人士、拓展人脉的好机会。另一位朋友告诉他，如果他不想投资，也可以在南宁举办房地产相关的讲座。

“第一次有朋友试图拉拢我入伙是在十多年前。最近一次是在两年前，一位和我合作过的承包商也试图拉拢我。这足以说明这是一个持续了多久的骗局，”他补充道。

他说：“我听说有人投入了50万美元，却没能拿回来。在这个骗局里找人接替你，就像找人接替你躺进棺材一样难。”

47 岁的市场营销顾问兼作家 Adrian Tan 在 2018 年飞往南宁，此前他的前同事说服他，他可以在那里探索商机。

广西科技馆位于南宁。市场营销顾问兼作家陈志强 (Adrian Tan) 于 2018 年飞往南宁，此前他的前同事劝说他可以在那里寻找商机。照片：陈志强

位于南宁的广西科技馆。市场营销顾问兼作家陈伟群 (Adrian Tan) 在 2018 年飞往南宁，此前他的前同事说服他，他可以在那里寻找商机。

“我一开始抱着开放的心态，但后来开始怀疑。例如，他们一直劝我们投资，但根本没有产品可投资，”谭先生回忆说，投资费用根据会员等级的不同，在3万至5万美元之间。

他说，旅途中他曾上网搜索有关该计划的新闻，但没有找到任何确凿的证据。

直到他将搜索语言切换到中文，发现多篇关于此骗局的报道后，他才意识到这是一个骗局。

与此同时，弗兰克表示，他在南宁遇到了许多新加坡人和马来西亚人，其中许多人被说服投入高达 48,000 美元投资该公寓综合体和东盟村，以期在它们大获成功之前就获得回报。

他补充道：“没有任何协议，也没有任何文件。他们只说了一句‘相信我们’。”

该计划的招募对象包括马来西亚人、印度尼西亚人、台湾人和中国人。

2016 年至 2017 年间，至少有 10 名中国公民向马来西亚华人公会（马华公会）公共服务和投诉部门寻求帮助。

一名马来西亚女子为此付出了生命的代价。2016年，一名32岁的马来西亚女子在吉隆坡与孩子共进午餐时遇害。

马来西亚警方当时表示，她的丈夫承认在中国经营庞氏骗局，并在获利颇丰后于近期返回马来西亚。

受害者的家人否认她本人参与了南宁的诈骗活动，但调查人员表示，她丈夫在南宁的活动可能引发了蒙受损失的投资者的报复。

在南宁被捕的52名新加坡人可能是迄今为止新加坡公民被外国拘留的最大规模事件。

9月4日，外交部和新加坡警察部队发表声明，提醒在海外旅行或居住的新加坡公民，他们必须遵守所在国的法律。

外交部第二部长沈颖重申，新加坡人在考虑商业或投资计划时，无论是在海外还是在本地，都应该谨慎行事。

她表示，对于涉及招募参与者、预先支付大笔资金或承诺异常高回报的计划来说，尤其如此。

中国当局的调查仍在进行中。

Nadine Chua是《海峡时报》负责报道犯罪和法庭新闻的记者。