Commuter suspects scam after being approached by ‘migrant worker’ at Boon Keng MRT station

A commuter recently shared an unusual encounter at Boon Keng MRT station, sparking debate over whether it was a genuine plea for help or a potential scam.

Posting on the r/askSingapore subreddit on Sunday (7 Sept), the original poster (OP) recounted how a Bangladeshi man approached her at a top-up machine, claiming he had no money to return to his dormitory.

 

“I did not want to give cash so I offered to top up his EZ-Link,” she explained.

Man asks for cash instead

But the situation soon shifted.

Instead of accepting the offer, the man began asking for cash, saying he wanted to “buy drink also”.

The OP declined, insisting on only topping up the card.

Source: Wikimedia Commons, for illustration purposes only

He then allegedly peeked into her wallet and remarked: “I see you have S$2, can you give me?”

“I started to get annoyed and said no, I have topped up your EZ-Link,” she wrote.

Despite receiving a S$10 top-up, the man appeared “disappointed” and walked away, even though his card balance — over S$3 — was seemingly enough to get him back to his dormitory.

Source: r/askSingapore on Reddit

“I did not want to give cash so I offered to top up his EZ-Link,” she explained.

Man asks for cash instead

But the situation soon shifted.

Instead of accepting the offer, the man began asking for cash, saying he wanted to “buy drink also”.

The OP declined, insisting on only topping up the card.

Source: Wikimedia Commons, for illustration purposes only

He then allegedly peeked into her wallet and remarked: “I see you have S$2, can you give me?”

“I started to get annoyed and said no, I have topped up your EZ-Link,” she wrote.

Despite receiving a S$10 top-up, the man appeared “disappointed” and walked away, even though his card balance — over S$3 — was seemingly enough to get him back to his dormitory.

Netizens share similar experiences at MRT stations

The OP’s post quickly sparked discussion online, with several Redditors recounting similar encounters at different MRT stations.

One user who lives near Boon Keng MRT station said they were approached by a migrant worker who asked to exchange Malaysian Ringgit for Singapore dollars in order to top up his EZ-Link card.

Source: Reddit

 

Another commenter shared that they had a comparable experience at Jurong East MRT station, while yet another said a worker had asked them for help at Woodlands MRT station, though they were unable to complete the top-up.

Source: Reddit

Source: Reddit

Some users expressed concern that such incidents risk tarnishing the reputation of genuine migrant workers, with one lamenting that “this kind of people” gives others a bad name.

Source: Reddit

Redditor says she would still help if approached again

Speaking to MS News, the commuter — who only wanted to be known as Esther, an office worker in her early 30s — said she was initially wary, but felt compelled to help as she had generally found migrant workers to be “nice and helpful”.

When asked if this was her first time facing such a situation, she shared that while she had previously been approached by people requesting food or drink money, they usually turned down her offer to buy the items directly.

Despite the unsettling encounter, Esther said she would still help if faced with a similar request, though she intends to stick to non-cash forms of assistance.

“I will top up their EZ-Link or buy them food or drink directly instead of giving them the cash,” she explained. “If they are not a scammer, they are getting exactly what they want.”

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This message was edited by LONGSTER on 09-Sep-2025 at 11:48 AM

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My current Mission is keep wining until S_P 斗/close shop
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Use main bet as base the rest side bet to add on to max win or more Name it Eye jackpot system 南神眼



betting records at
http://forums.asianbookie.com/viewmessages.cfm?Forum=45&Topic=2112557