Is getting you to pay $100 for common household items a Hong Kong scam in Singapore?

Is this the best deal or the best Hong Kong scam in Singapore?

In a recent Facebook post by user Moon Chung, he relates a seller he’s seen in Simei Plaza, who seems to know what it truly means to “hustle.”

Take a look at the Facebook post below:

Here is the full text of the post, edited for clarity:

These 3 fellows, girl is Chinese, fat boy is Hong Konger, 3rd guy I’m not sure.

They talk very big, said they are “NOT HERE TO SELL” anything but just to give away gifts.

They entice passerby first with their free Magic Sponge, Orange Peel device, then a free Multifunction Scissor.

Gave sponge to everyone in the crowd, scissors to a few, and the only catch is you listen to them on instructions how to use the gift and to promise to use it at home and help promote their company 28Home.

Then, the real deal came.

Fat boy said they will pack all 3 into plastic bag, while the other two people was packing the gifts, Fat boy started to sweeten the package by adding scissor for all, then a waterproof shaver, then a hardy meat chopper.

Fatboy said while he can’t give this for free, but only token sum so crowd can show sincerity to use and promote 28Home.

Fatboy made them take out wallet to show sincerity.

In the end the package cost $99.

All the aunties and uncles were so sold to it and paid for the package.

There were about 25 sales in that weekday afternoon session. I’m sure weekends got bigger crowd.

If they do an average of 3 sessions a day with 6 to 7 days week, it’s $100 X 3 X 7 X 25 = $52500/month average.

Wah, this 肥仔 wallet fatter than him. I’m sure the cost of the product is damn low.

Please warn your family members especially old folks not to be enticed by them.  I’m sure they are going around Singapore Heartlands to sell it.

The system with how he is doing it, I think he is trained by Andy Harrington.

Read more about a scam that has you giving up your PIN code to a stranger.

This type of seller has also been reported in Chinese newspapers. From a Facebook post again from Karen Ong, she said her boyfriend witnessed a similar Hong Kong scam in Singapore, which she talked about below. He mentioned more details like the brand of the items and how the sellers would rile up a crowd.

Karen Ong’s Facebook post narrates a similar story to Moon Chung’s, with a little more detail:

What’s the short version?

The two accounts are quite similar in their stories, but happened to different people at different locations. Basically, this is how these sellers get their profits:

1. They round up a crowd in a market or busy area, probably using some of their own people to act as interested and enthusiastic customers.
2. They show common household items like a sponge and/or a peeler, which they say they will give for free.
3. They rile up a crowd of older people, asking them to raise their wallets and stir up groupthink. Sometimes they will ask for simple company promotion by word-of-mouth.
4. They promise to give the items for free again and again, then put the items in a bag to say that they will give it as gifts.
5. Then they add two or three more items that can include kitchen scissors, waterproof shaver and a chopper.
6. They only ask you to promote their company, but they say that they cannot give you the other items for free.
7. They ask the crowd to take out two $50 bills, and say that it is only a small amount.
8. They give the bags with the common household items to the riled-up customers.

According to the posts, these people are allegedly from Hong Kong and have their own website. From the second Facebook post, you could see that there is a company called 28Home that is based in Hong Kong.

From the first post that included the items sold, you could see that the sponge in that post matches the one they sell on their website:

They also sell the same kitchen scissor seen in the photo from Moon Chung.

Some of these items have been posted on selling platform Shopee as well. The kitchen knife you see above goes for around $30 there. In Hong Kong dollars, the price in the website above is equivalent to roughly $50.

So if the items were the same and the sellers do add on a shaver, a chopper and other items, did the customers get a $50 with this “free” knife? According to other posts on Shopee, an electric shaver from the same company retails for $100.

In the end, if the prices for these goods really are pegged as such, is it a Hong Kong scam or very good selling to a captured target market you meet everyday on the streets of Singapore?

Here are some videos of the alleged sellers in action in AMK.

Most of the customers in the video are elderly people. You can clearly see the company banner on the side.

What do you think of this type of selling? Do you think 28Home is running a Hong Kong scam? Let us know in the comments!

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