The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) said on Monday (21 Jul 2025) that it was investigating an alleged fraudulent work injury claim made against EatGreen, the operator of eatery Sumo Salad.
The Singapore Police Force (SPF) stated investigations were ongoing into the unnatural death of Jane Lee, the salad chain’s owner.
Lee, a mother of two in her 40s, died on Saturday (19 Jul 2025), after making two Facebook posts about an employee who allegedly faked a workplace injury to seek compensation from the company.
Alleged Fraudulent Workplace Injury Scheme
Lee wrote in her first Facebook post on Friday (18 Jul 2025) that an employee staged an incident two days before her contract ended. The worker claimed to have slipped and fallen while taking the escalator to dispose of rubbish.
The employee was supposed to leave work early that day but deliberately stayed back. Lee said it became clear that the accident was premeditated, likely as an attempt to file a false work injury claim.
Lee believed this was “a carefully orchestrated scheme” that the employee planned with her husband. The couple allegedly targeted small businesses without full insurance coverage.
Lee said she had video footage contradicting the employee’s claim about being injured. She observed the woman walking and performing daily tasks without difficulty.
“However, her behaviour changes dramatically in the presence of others, especially doctors, where she exaggerates her condition and limps to feign serious injury,” Lee wrote.
Lee claimed the couple, likely with help from a legal firm, had tried the same ruse before. The firm allegedly advised foreign workers on how to get compensation for workplace injuries.
They would allegedly try to get higher payouts if insured by feigning more severe injuries.
“I feel extremely unfortunate to have encountered this situation. I am deeply saddened – for myself, my husband and our dedicated staff – that because of an unfortunate gap in our insurance coverage, we are now being targeted by what I believe to be a fraudulent scheme,” Lee wrote.
In her second post published two minutes after the first, Lee tagged MOM and SPF, requesting authorities to investigate. She warned that other small businesses were at risk of being scammed.
“I fear that I will not be the last victim, and these individuals may continue to exploit other unsuspecting small businesses in similar ways,” she wrote.
Lee apologised to her employees for the situation and said she had transferred some funds to them. Some staff had worked with her for 12 years.
“To my beloved family and children, I’m truly sorry that I couldn’t find the strength to face this battle on my own,” she concluded.
Tributes Pour in for Beloved Business Owner
Mourners at Lee’s wake at St Joseph’s Church in Bukit Timah described her as kind and helpful. Karen Loh, 52, who knew Lee from church, said she always came across as a very friendly, joyful person.
Lee, who moved to Singapore from Malaysia, was hardworking and hospitable and treated her staff well, Loh said.
Former colleague Irene Ho, 46, described Lee as “a sunshine girl”. Ho called Lee on Friday night because she was concerned after reading her Facebook posts.
“A bit shocking that this had happened because when I spoke to her on Friday, I really thought that she was okay,” Ho said. “Probably if she had sounded not that okay, I would have asked more.”
Kenneth Tan, another former colleague, noted that based on Lee’s final Facebook posts, she was still taking care of her employees despite the stress she was under.
“She’s basically carrying everybody’s load and has a heart for everybody else first,” the 59-year-old company director said.
Tan added that owners of small- and medium-sized enterprises faced stress from costs, and hoped more in such situations would get support.
Zak Lo, a member of Singapore Tenants United for Fairness (SGTUFF), attended the wake to express condolences as a fellow business owner. “The SGTUFF community is deeply saddened by her unfortunate passing,” the 47-year-old said.
Hawker Melvin Chew, also 47, got to know Lee during the COVID-19 pandemic. He founded the Hawkers United – Dabao 2020 Facebook group to assist hawkers and food and beverage business owners. Lee was one of the earliest members of the group, which now has more than 332,000 members.
Chew said Lee was an “extremely helpful lady” who would support or give anonymous donations when there were posts about hawkers and F&B business owners needing help.
Lee told him many times that being in the F&B industry was difficult because of rent and manpower issues, but she worried about her employees losing their livelihoods if she closed her business.
Chew recalled that when he was in quarantine during the pandemic, Lee sent him salad and checked if he needed anything almost every day. He described her as “one of the most kind human beings” he has ever met.
There was an outpouring of tributes to Lee online as her posts circulated widely among members of the public in Singapore and beyond. One anecdote mentioned that Lee would take more leaflets from those distributing them so that they could finish work faster.
Official Response and Ongoing Investigation
MOM said it had been in communication with Lee, and investigations into the claim are ongoing. The worker involved was covered under the Work Injury Compensation (WIC) Act.
MOM is working with the employee’s insurer to “assess the validity of the case”.
“MOM will not hesitate to take parties found culpable for abusing the WIC system to task. Employers can approach MOM for help if they have concerns over fraudulent claims by their employees,” the ministry said.
MOM has extended its condolences to Lee’s family.
Sumo Salad, a salad chain now known as Sumo Well, has outlets in Holland Village and Marina One. When CNA visited the Holland Village outlet on Monday afternoon, staff said it had opened for business as usual that day.
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