KUALA LUMPUR: Two weeks after disclosing she had fallen victim to a scam, professional mixed doubles shuttler Lai Pei Jing revealed the details of how she was cheated of an estimated RM400,000 in life savings.
The 31-year-old, who forms the world No. 17 partnership with Tan Kian Meng, took to Instagram to detail how a "friend' duped her into investing in Dobevil, a fraudulent e-commerce platform.
Despite initial hesitation, Pei Jing eventually succumbed to her friend's persistent persuasion to try the business venture.
This decision proved to be one of the costliest mistakes of her life.
Pei Jing explained that her vulnerability to this scam stemmed from worries about her financial future after retiring from badminton as a professional.
Pei Jing's vulnerability is understandable, as she found herself at a career crossroads after a period of poor results, which ultimately led to her and Kian Meng failing to qualify for the Paris Olympics.
"Initially a friend introduced me to a software called Dobevil. Normally I wouldn't pay attention to or try such things, but at that time I was frustrated with my career which led to anxiety about my future after retirement," said Pei Jing.
"Therefore, under the repeated recommendations of my friend, I took this wrong step.
"This impulsive decision gave both myself and this software a chance, leading to the current outcome.
"This software is similar to cross-border e-commerce, operating like running your own online store, involving order taking, procurement, manufacturer shipping and buyer signing, while I earn profits in between.
"However, I didn't know that the whole software was a scam. I genuinely believed in it, all the order amounts, customer service and buyers were actually controlled by them."
Pei Jing started to sense something was amiss when the order amounts kept increasing over time and she was required to invest more money to ensure her "business" was running.
"The amount I was scammed for became so large because the order amounts gradually increased, and I also gradually invested money," she explained.
"If I didn't take orders within the deadline, my account would be frozen, preventing me from withdrawing money until the orders were processed."
Pei Jing admitted that the overwhelming number of orders raised suspicions, but when she sought advice from her "friend", she was given false reassurance.
"Customer service and buyers would message me, affecting my state of mind and making me anxious and unsure," she said.
"In fact, throughout the whole process, I did have doubts several times. But every time I had doubts or questions, I foolishly asked that particular friend who introduced me to this software instead of my close friends and family.
"My ignorance and naivety even led me to ask my sister until the last moment.
"I started to realise I was being scammed because the order amount was too large to be matched by the merchant's procurement. After a long time of hesitation, I finally decided to tell my family what I was facing."
To Pei Jing's credit, she managed to maintain her composure in the weeks following the incident.
In fact, she delivered some of her best performances in recent times, reaching back-to-back semi-finals with Kian Meng in the Indonesia Open and Australian Open.
Pei Jing also excelled in women's doubles, teaming up with Lim Chiew Sien to make a surprising run to the final.
In closing her post, Pei Jing urged all Malaysians to remain vigilant to avoid falling prey to scammers, and to always consult loved ones when making major decisions.
"Making new friends and socialising is fine, but when it comes to money, everyone should be cautious," she said.
"If you have any confusion or doubts, do not decide alone. Please consult your closest or most trusted family or friends."