Malaysian-Born Woman, 59, Stole Identities And Money In US For 2 Decades

For nearly 20 years a Malaysian-born woman whose true name is Cheah Siew Im, defrauded people in the United States out of their money using a variety of stolen identities and false stories.

She was finally apprehended after she was caught speeding in Virginia driving a Porsche and using her old roommate’s driving license. She pled guilty to ID theft and fraud in a federal court and was sentenced to a 51-month prison term.

Even the judge who sentenced her said, “I’m a little confused about what name to use for you,” at her Oct. 4 sentencing. Federal prosecutors have called her “a one-woman crime spree” and that she “has perfected the art of identity theft."

According to the court records, her victims included a chef, a trainer, more than one manicurist and an appointee of a Virginia governor. Professional athletes and successful executives got caught up in her web of deceit when she convinced them that she was well connected and in at least one case, the granddaughter of Singapore’s first prime minister, Lee Kuan Yew.

One victim, Jimmy Rhee, who was then-Virginia Governor Robert McDonnell’s assistant commerce secretary, related a story about how he visited Cheah, who was then using the name Cindy Lin when she was sick and noticed a card and flowers signed by former U.S. President Barack Obama. It is likely she sent the flowers to herself to keep up the ruse.

It worked because she convinced Rhee to invest $300,000 in a Nigerian oil venture of all things. Rhee said that she had financial documents to back up her claim and seemed knowledgeable about the oil and entertainment industries. He said of the lady he knew as Cindy Lin, “She is a very, very personable lady. It’s hard to resist her friendship.”

Other victims described her as having near-mystical powers of persuasion and that at first, she would be personable and affectionate and then turn cruel, threatening and demanding, presumably after she had whatever wealth she could get from them.

Another victim named Alan Perez, a chef, said in a letter to the court that “She does not use guns, knives, or any other sort of physical weapon like many criminals. Language and emotion are her weapons and armed with them she can easily infiltrate the mind of anyone she wishes to prey upon.” Perez ended up $250,000 in debt and estranged from his parents.

Cheah Siew Im entered the United States from Malaysia on a visitor’s visa under the name Lee Sau Hoong in 2001, according to court records. Prosecutors say that in her nearly 20-year spree she stole at least six identities and several fortunes.

Her talent for identity theft might remind some of the iconic American actor of the 1920s named Leonidas Frank "Lon" Chaney (1883 – 1930). He was called “The Man of a Thousand Faces” because of his ability to transform himself into many characters.