Deaf-Mute Man Sentenced to 4 Weeks in Jail After “Fiancée” Exploits Him as Money Mule

By
Loh Huey Xin
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A deaf-mute man was exploited by his “fiancée” to launder illicit money and eventually found himself behind bars as a direct consequence of his actions.

Here’s what happened.

Online Romance Led to Illegal Financial Activities

Lin Jianqiang (name transliterated from Mandarin), a 34-year-old deaf-mute man, recently appeared in the State Courts with the assistance of a sign language interpreter.

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He admitted to one charge of receiving criminal proceeds and was subsequently sentenced to four weeks in prison.

A second charge related to violations of the Payment Services Act was taken into consideration by the judge during the sentencing process but did not result in additional penalties.

Court documents revealed that Lin was employed as a dishwasher at the time of the offenses.

Police officers investigating a separate fraud case traced $9,075 of criminal proceeds directly to Lin’s personal bank account, triggering a deeper investigation into his financial activities.

The investigation uncovered that Lin had first connected with a woman identifying herself as “Latifa” on an online platform in 2018.

They maintained regular communication through various internet channels after their initial contact. Throughout their interactions, Latifa consistently claimed to be a resident of Dubai.

Despite never meeting face-to-face or having any physical interaction, the pair developed what Lin believed to be a romantic relationship.

The connection deepened to such an extent that Lin considered Latifa as his fiancée and harbored serious intentions to marry her.

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Used as a Money Mule Despite Clear Police Warnings

The relationship took a criminal turn in 2020 when Latifa began making requests for financial assistance.

She specifically asked Lin to receive funds through his personal bank account and transfer them according to her detailed instructions.

Following Latifa’s specific directions, Lin used the received money to purchase Bitcoin cryptocurrency.

He then transferred these digital assets directly to Latifa as requested.

Court documents stated that while Lin admitted he did not know the exact source of these funds, he harbored concerns about potentially being involved in illegal activities.

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Despite these reservations, he agreed to help, primarily motivated by his hope that his cooperation would convince Latifa to travel to Singapore and fulfill her supposed promise to marry him.

On 17 Aug 2020, Singapore police formally warned Lin that his actions constituted a direct violation of the Payment Services Act.

Officers explicitly advised him to cease these activities immediately to avoid legal consequences.

Though Lin verbally acknowledged this warning and ostensibly agreed to stop, bank records showed he continued assisting Latifa’s financial requests.

Between 7 Nov 2020 and 10 Feb 2021, he processed approximately $177,271 through his accounts.

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During this period of increased activity, Lin began to develop suspicions about Latifa’s true intentions.

He questioned whether she might be manipulating him to launder illegally obtained money.

Court records indicate he directly confronted her with these concerns on multiple occasions.

However, when she reaffirmed her promise to marry him and come to Singapore, his doubts were temporarily assuaged, and he agreed to continue facilitating the transfers.

After the case was exposed through the police investigation, authorities attempted to trace Latifa’s true identity but were unsuccessful in determining who was actually behind the account.

In court, the prosecutor recommended a one to two-month jail sentence, specifically intended to serve as a deterrent against any potential reoffending in the future.

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Loh Huey Xin