KUALA LUMPUR – National mixed doubles shuttler Lai Pei Jing has revealed that she has fallen victim to a scam that has left her nearly broke.
In an emotional Facebook post last night, the 31-year-old athlete shared her anguish and asked for privacy for her family as they deal with the emotional aftermath of the event, Bernama reported.
Pei Jing, ranked 23rd globally with her partner Tan Kian Meng, recounted losing almost all her savings to a fraudulent scheme, calling it a “heavy blow” after years of hard work.
“First of all, to my relatives and friends who see this post, whether you are curious or concerned, please give my family and me some private space to deal with our emotions. Please give us time to process everything, especially my mom. Thank you.
“Yes, I was scammed out of almost all of my savings by a fraud group. Honestly, this has been an extremely heavy blow to me.
“My hard-earned savings from decades of hard work…I reflect on it almost every second, and whenever my mind is idle. I naturally replay the entire scam and fall into a state of blaming myself for my foolishness and kindness,” she said.
Despite the emotional toll, the 2022 Korean Open mixed doubles champion is determined to move forward as she has been managing her emotions and working with the police.
“I’ll share more about it. I hope to prevent more victims and also force myself to accept the fact that I was scammed.
“So at this moment, I must grit my teeth and get through this because life still has to go on. The world won’t stop turning just because of me…it seems like being strong is my only option.
“I need some time to settle and process everything. Afterwards, I’ll consider how to share the details of the scam with everyone. I hope my sharing can help others be more vigilant and prevent more victims from being deceived,” she added.
At the Singapore Open which concluded yesterday, Pei Jing-Kian Meng were eliminated as early as the second round. They are scheduled to participate in the Indonesia Open in Jakarta from June 4 to 9. – June 3, 2024