I didn't lose any money. But I understand now why people do.
I used to think I'd never fall for a scam.
I'm not uneducated. I'm not elderly. I keep myself updated on the latest scams shared online.
But this experience taught me something.
It taught me why scams work.
One day while I was at work, I received a call.
The caller told me my WeChat account had been suspended because I hadn't paid a new usage fee.
I didn't believe them. I hung up and opened WeChat to check.
I couldn't log in.
My account really had been suspended.
That was the moment everything they said started to feel believable.
A video call followed. They showed me official-looking documents.
Then they asked me to open my DBS app and show them screenshots of my account.
What I didn't know then was that they had already suspended my WeChat account before calling me using a legitimate WeChat function.
The suspension wasn't proof they were genuine.
It was part of the scam.
For a long time, I kept asking myself,
"How could I be so stupid?"
Looking back, I realised...
I wasn't stupid.
I was already going through one of the lowest periods of my life.
I was emotionally exhausted.
My guard was down.
I wasn't thinking,
"Is this real?"
I was thinking,
"How do I get my account back?"
That's exactly what scammers count on.
Thankfully, I was on the phone long enough that a colleague noticed something was wrong.
He could tell I was in distress.
I almost brushed him off.
Instead, I told him what was happening.
He looked at me and said,
"Hang up. It's a scam."
That one sentence probably saved my savings.
The biggest lesson I took away wasn't about WeChat.
It was this:
Scammers don't just target your money.
They target your emotions.
Fear.
Urgency.
Confusion.
When those take over, our judgement changes.
If this story helps even one person pause before acting under pressure...
it'll be worth sharing.
Based on my experience, I now understand more deeply how scammers skillfully manipulate not just our money but our emotions. It’s easy to believe that only the uninformed or elderly fall prey to scams, but as my story shows, even someone who keeps up with scam alerts can be vulnerable when emotionally drained. Scammers create a realistic scenario by suspending your account first, which increases your fear and urgency to fix the problem immediately. This emotional pressure clouds judgement and induces panic, leading many to make hasty decisions without verifying the authenticity of the claims. From my ordeal, I realized the importance of having a trusted person nearby or a colleague who can recognize when you’re under stress. Their intervention can be a vital lifeline. I encourage everyone to share their experiences and be vigilant about how scams exploit psychological weaknesses. Awareness should go beyond recognizing common scams; it should include understanding the emotional tactics scammers use. Practically, if you receive an urgent call requesting personal information or screenshots of banking apps, always verify independently before responding. Contact the official customer service channels or directly access your account on a separate device without clicking links sent by callers. Never rush to comply with unusual requests, especially under pressure. Lastly, it’s helpful to remind yourself that no legitimate company will ask for sensitive information like bank app screenshots over the phone. Scams often escalate by leveraging a mix of authenticity - like showing official-looking documents or using genuine platform functions - combined with emotional exploitation. Sharing this personal story, I hope others will pause before reacting hastily and understand that falling for a scam doesn’t mean you’re stupid. It means scammers have succeeded in manipulating your emotions, a situation that can happen to anyone during vulnerable times.
Recently the sms scam also almost got me! Lucky I check the parcel number to see if it’s valid anot. ( NInja van and SPX scam)