A man who used fake female dating profiles to draw men into rigged mahjong games was sentenced to two years’ jail and fined S$15,000 on 5 November 2026.
Marcus Ang Yi Sheng, a 27-year-old Singaporean, admitted to eight charges involving conspiracy to cheat, criminal intimidation and gambling offences. Another 33 charges were taken into consideration in sentencing.
Ang estimated that the group earned about S$100,000 through the games.
Female Accomplices Posed As His Dating Profiles
Ang began planning the scheme around April 2024, creating fictional women’s profiles on platforms including Tinder and OkCupid.
The profiles included Telegram usernames. When men contacted those accounts, Ang chatted with them while pretending to be the women, then invited them to play mahjong.
A female accomplice would subsequently meet the victim, pose as the woman from the profile and host the game. Sessions took place at locations including flats and SAFRA Toa Payoh.
The group arranged 28 games involving 28 prospective victims between April and June 2024. Only 19 games went ahead.
The Other Three Players Worked Together
Each victim sat at a table with three accomplices who concealed their connections through invented names and relationships. Some pretended to be friends or siblings; others acted as though they had just met.
Their tasks included blocking the victim from winning and discarding tiles that helped another accomplice complete a winning hand.
A reserve player watched the victim’s playing habits and passed information to the others, and could replace tired players.
Ang decided the rules and how winnings were calculated. Participants handed their winnings to him, and he distributed commissions of S$300 to S$500 per session.
Victims Pressured To Pay S$26,000
One man was told to pay S$26,000 after a game on 1 June 2024, but refused.
Another victim faced a demand for the same amount. Ang threatened to visit that man’s workplace. The victim later made a police report.
Olivia Chin Hui Zhen, who hosted and played in the games, was sentenced on 1 October 2026 to eight months’ jail and a S$3,000 fine. She admitted to four charges of conspiracy to cheat and one of unlawful gambling.
