Woman cheats 33 victims of nearly S$2 million with travel deals, Taylor Swift tickets and investment scam

Woman cheats 33 victims of nearly S$2 million with travel deals, Taylor Swift tickets and investment scam Among her victims were ordinary travel customers, Taylor Swift concertgoers, men she dated, as well as her friends and their partners. SINGAPORE: Over 17 months, a woman ran a Ponzi scheme deceiving 33 victims of almost S$2 million (US$1.56 million) by offering cheap flights, cruises, hotels and Taylor Swift concert tickets, as well as a chance to "invest" in her "travel business". The web of deceit was uncovered when the funds from new victims and investors ran out and she was unable to pay earlier investors. Nila Anggraini Citra Sejati, a 32-year-old Indonesian woman here on an employment pass, was sentenced to eight-and-a-half years' jail on Wednesday (Aug 12). She pleaded guilty to 11 charges, mostly of cheating, with another 28 charges taken into consideration. THE CASE The court heard that Nila devised a sophisticated scheme based around her travel booking businesses, Argo Sejati Corporation and Paul Sejati Corporation. From around August 2023, she ran two types of scams. The first, an e-commerce scam, reeled victims in with the promise of travel-related bookings at discounted prices. Victims believed they could buy flights, cruises, hotels and Taylor Swift concert tickets at a cheaper rate. Nila used several tactics to make it look genuine. Sometimes, she fulfilled initial bookings. Other times, she made genuine reservations but did not make full payment, leading to their cancellation. She also bought fake tickets with bogus booking reference numbers to pass off to her customers. The second scam offered investment opportunities in her companies, promising high returns of up to 80 to 90 per cent. She claimed to be able to obtain and sell discounted flight tickets from commercial arrangements. Nila hired at least four people to promote her business. They did not know the true nature of the fraudulent schemes. Among Nila's victims were ordinary travel customers, Taylor Swift concertgoers, men she dated, as well as her friends and their partners. She used fresh funds from later customers and investors to make genuine bookings for earlier customers and pay off earlier investors. She also used the money to pay off her personal debts and buy luxury goods. As the scheme grew, she was unable to meet her obligations or sustain the deception. Most of the victims did not receive restitution. The e-commerce victims had to buy replacement tickets or bookings at higher prices, while the investment victims incurred credit card debts. The prosecutor sought eight-and-a-half years' jail, saying Nila had cheated the victims through an elaborate fraudulent enterprise. Nila had also committed offences while on bail, demonstrating her persistence in committing fraud. Five victims showed up in court and three of them wanted to address the court. One man said the offences led to a lot of "emotional stress" affecting his personal life. He said he was in debt and liquidated his assets over 15 years of working life but still owed money. The judge noted how Nila ensnared multiple victims and caused significant losses through her sustained Ponzi scheme, which was doomed to fail. The sentence had to be sufficiently stiff to reflect the harm Nila caused to her victims, as well as to deter other like-minded offenders, he said.