A SALESGIRL was cheated of S$8,000 (RM19, 400) by her close friend who told her that she had an aunt who could "chase away" the evil spirits hounding her, China Press reported.

The daily quoted Ong Hui Li, 30, from Singapore telling newsmen that she had been paying her friend of eight years "bomoh fees" for the past year.

"We used to be colleagues and I trusted her. Things have not been going well for me recently and the new building which my company moved to gave me the creeps.

"When I told her about it, she said I was possessed by evil spirits and offered to take me to her aunt, whom she claims is a bomoh," she was quoted by the daily.

"Although I have never seen her aunt, I still gave her the fees in instalments because I was too afraid. Then, my family began wondering why I was constantly having financial problems. Only after they began to question me did I realise that I had been cheated," she said.

"My friend kept telling me that if I don't pay, my mother might get into trouble," she said.

Ong's family later confronted her friend who confessed her wrongdoings in a statement. They then took her to the police station.