Missing Singaporean woman who unexpectedly left for Cambodia found safe
The family of 20-year-old Aishah Siregar discovered that she transferred hundreds of dollars to an unknown person in the days before she travelled to Cambodia without informing them.
Twenty-year-old Singaporean Aishah Siregar went missing on Jul 28, 2026. She was last seen in a light grey hoodie and grey pants, as pictured on the right. (Photos: Syafiq Siregar)
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SINGAPORE: A 20-year-old Singaporean woman who became uncontactable after unexpectedly travelling to Cambodia has been found, police said on Friday (Jul 31).
Ms Aishah Siregar, who was last heard from by her family on Tuesday, “has been found safe by the Cambodian National Police”, said the Singapore Police Force (SPF).
“We have reached out to our Cambodian National Police counterpart to obtain more information and to render further assistance as appropriate,” SPF said.
The police said that the Singapore Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) and the Singapore Embassy in Phnom Penh are providing consular support to her family.
“The police express appreciation to the Cambodian authorities for their prompt assistance,” SPF added.
Ms Aishah’s last message to her mother said she was going to school on Tuesday morning. According to their family’s helper, Ms Aishah was last seen leaving the house in a light grey hoodie and grey pants.
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 on Friday afternoon.
Ms 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, Mr 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 Ms 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.
“MY SISTER IS NOT LIKE THIS”
Mr Syafiq said Ms 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 Ms 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 Ms Aishah’s father.
“As a father, I am begging for your help. I just want my daughter to come home safe,” he wrote.
Mr Syafiq said late on Friday that he, on behalf of his family, thanked Cambodian Ambassador to Singapore Sok Khoeun, the Cambodian Embassy in Singapore and the Cambodian police for the “fast response and actions in helping us find our sister”.
“That demonstrates the country’s resolve in combating to eradicate online scams and human trafficking across Cambodia,” he said.
Mr Syafiq added that their family is working through relevant channels to bring his sister back home safely.
“We continue to request for the assistance of the Singapore Embassy in Cambodia and the local law enforcement agencies to help bring our sister back home to Singapore,” he said.
