Orchard Road Supermarket Scam? Expat in Singapore Warns After Strange Encounter
A British expatriate living in Singapore has filed a police report after a disturbing incident at a supermarket along Orchard Road. The woman, identified as Emily, said she was confronted by a stranger who asked personal questions and used her phone to connect on Instagram.
The unsettling encounter has sparked concerns among the expat and local community, especially after Emily discovered multiple reports of similar incidents involving the same woman across Singapore. Her warning has since gone viral on TikTok, with netizens debating whether this was an attempted scam or something more sinister.
The incident unfolded on Wednesday evening (13 August) at the Cold Storage outlet in Palais Renaissance. Emily described the woman as a petite Chinese female with an untidy appearance, who initiated an unusual line of questioning while she was browsing in the organic food aisle.
Expat in Singapore Pressured for Personal Details
At first, Emily believed the woman was simply lonely and trying to make casual conversation. But the questions quickly turned personal, ranging from her nationality to her length of stay in Singapore. When Emily explained she had been living here for six years, the woman pressed on, asking when she planned to leave.
The stranger then asked Emily if she was on social media. Claiming she did not have her own phone, she requested to use Emily’s device to look up her Instagram account. Emily agreed, only to notice that the username was oddly familiar.
That triggered alarm bells. Emily recalled reading an online post earlier this year about a similar case, where a woman approached tourists outside Universal Studios Singapore and obtained their Instagram contacts using the same trick. Victims later reported receiving odd messages, while some said they were introduced to suspicious men attempting to lure them elsewhere.
Orchard Road Incident Mirrors Other Reported Encounters
After the supermarket encounter, Emily did some research and found more disturbing accounts dating as far back as 2018. Multiple women—mostly Western-looking expats or tourists—claimed to have been approached by the same woman in public areas such as MRT stations, malls, and tourist attractions.
One Reddit user alleged that after engaging with the woman outside Universal Studios, she was separately targeted by two men. The men, both speaking with American accents, appeared to know her name and personal details, and tried to persuade her to follow them for drinks. Their attempt only failed when a nearby family intervened.
Emily has since taken extra precautions. She deleted the messages linked to the woman, blocked her account, and even took a longer route home to ensure she was not followed. Other TikTok users commented that such incidents could be linked to social engineering scams, identity theft, or even human trafficking tactics.
Police Report Filed After Orchard Road Scam Fears
The Singapore Police Force has confirmed that a report was lodged, though no crime has been established at this point. Some commenters online pointed out that unless there is evidence of fraud or harassment, police may be limited in their actions. Still, filing a report ensures the woman is on record in case of future offences.
The incident has ignited debate on social media. Some users argue that Singapore’s strong reputation for safety can cause people to lower their guard—particularly when the stranger in question is a woman, who is less likely to raise suspicion. Others emphasised the dangers of letting strangers use your phone, warning that it could allow hackers to install spyware or gain access to bank accounts.
For now, Emily’s message is clear: stay cautious and trust your instincts. As one netizen bluntly put it, “Next time, don’t hand over your phone. If something feels wrong, it probably is.”