Malaysian lady 59-year-old Cheah Siew who defrauded U.S athlete of $1.2m with fake Ni­ger­ian oil investment, jailed

59-year-old Cheah Siew Im who defrauded people in the United States with stolen identities and false stories for almost 20 years, has been jailed after she was caught speeding in Virginia driving a Porsche and using her old roommate’s driving license.

The Malaysian-born con artist stole at least 6 identities including those of her roommates and nail technicians, and reportedly convinced professional athletes and successful executives that she was the granddaughter of Singapore’s first prime minister, Lee Kuan Yew, and a close friend of former US president, Barack Obama.

Cheah was sentenced to 51 months in an American prison after pleading guilty to identity theft and fraud after being arraigned in court following her arrest in 2017. She convinced her victims to invest in Nigerian oil and Washington sports teams, but spent the money on high-end cars, plastic surgery and designer handbags.

For years, the FBI found no trace of her big spending in bank records. One victim said she would use him as a middleman for wire transfers and take her money in cash. In past court proceedings, Cheah said she lived off her past earnings as a plastics executive.