One evening, a caller with a familiar voice claimed to be my friend, stating he had lost his phone and wallet, hence the use of a different number. He asked if I was free in two weeks for the opening of his bistro, Casanova, and promised to send me details. We ended the call after discussing his lost wallet and cards.

Two days later, he sent me an image invitation via WhatsApp to the grand opening of Casanova at 510 Ang Mo Kio Ave 1 (Bishan Park) on Saturday at 4 PM. Shortly after, he called, explaining his inability to pay his supplier due to his lost belongings. After some negotiation, I sent him $400. He later asked for $1k more, but I declined. We continued chatting about various topics for an hour, during which he managed to raise more money and requested an additional $300, to which I agreed, sending a total of $500 via PayNow.

The next day, I attempted to contact him to return my funds, but received no response. I then called the real friend's number to confirm if his phone was found, only to discover he hadn't lost anything. Realizing I had been scammed, I promptly filed a police report and contacted my bank to report the incident.