'Distraught' family searches for missing Singaporean who unexpectedly left for Cambodia

SINGAPORE: The family of a Singaporean woman is searching for her after she unexpectedly travelled to Cambodia on Tuesday (Jul 28) and became uncontactable.Twenty-year-old Aishah Siregar’s last message to her mother said she was going to school on Tuesday morning. However, when her family prepared to pick her up as usual, they discovered that her WhatsApp and Telegram accounts had been deleted, her older brother Syafiq Siregar told CNA. Aishah’s phone line was also dead when they attempted to call her.The family returned home to find her passport missing and lodged a police report. They later discovered a flight itinerary in her emails for a trip to Cambodia on Tuesday afternoon. Other emails showed she had transferred hundreds of dollars to an unknown figure over the past few days. While the family has never seen or spoken to the person, Syafiq said their name matches that of an online friend his sister had been gaming with for over a year.“We heard her call out the name (before),” he said. “She played every day, so all of us heard that she has been playing games with this person.”“We know of this person. But we have never seen, we have never heard him speak at all. But we know that she’s playing games with this person.”The transactions have raised the family’s fears that Aishah was lured to Cambodia by a scammer. The country has emerged as a hub for scam compounds, which are known for luring and trapping individuals to carry out scams on their behalf. The police have confirmed with the family that Aishah left Singapore on Tuesday. Syafiq said his family is working closely with the authorities, and the Singapore Police Force is trying to get in touch with Interpol on the matter.The family has also sent multiple emails to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) and contacted their MP Ng Chee Meng for assistance, he said.“We are trying to like escalate this up and up and up,” he said.His sister was last seen leaving the house in a light grey hoodie and grey pants, according to their helper.“MY SISTER IS NOT LIKE THIS”Syafiq said Aishah’s sudden departure for Cambodia was uncharacteristic of her, describing his sister as obedient and someone who never caused issues.“My sister is not like this. She has never run away from home. She's not rebellious,” he said. “We have a very close bond as a family.”He said his mother was “distraught” and found it difficult to work as usual. “All of us here are just trying to do as much as we can to get as much information.”News of Aishah’s disappearance began circulating on social media after a user posted on Instagram, asking for any leads on her whereabouts.“Our family is very worried, and every minute that passes feels so long,” said the user, identifying himself as Aishah’s father.“As a father, I am begging for your help. I just want my daughter to come home safe,” he wrote.The police told CNA that they had received reports regarding Aishah's disappearance and were investigating. CNA has also contacted MFA for any updates on the situation.