We're always looking for the light at the end of the tunnel, hoping for a miracle to lead us through life.

And that's what happened to this retiree, who fell for a woman's deception after she identified herself as a priestess and a messenger for a deity.

She allegedly informed him that he was the "chosen" one and that the goddess wanted to bestow upon him good fortune and health.

Lai Chin Keong, the victim, was duped into giving her the amount of RM8,750, and she knew in her conscience that he was an easy target because she knew he had been a devotee of the goddess for 30 years and had donated generously to temples established in her honour.

But later, she was exposed for the fraud, and it was discovered that she is a divorcee with a 10-year-old kid, working as a dishwasher in her real life.

Additionally, despite her request for a reduced punishment due to her remorse, she was prosecuted and sentenced to a year in prison by the court.

Her behaviour might be explained by the fact that she came from a poor household and that her father was the only source of income in the home. However, following her sentencing, she vowed to refrain from committing the crime in the future.