How a Former PHV Driver Built a $4 Million Vending-Machine Investment Scheme

Lim Jian Bin, known online as Takeshi Lim, pitched himself as a former private-hire vehicle driver who had built a portfolio of more than 500 vending machines and commercial properties. Between 2023 and early 2026, more than 40 investors placed up to S$4 million with Nozomii Vending, a company registered in 2022, on promises of 5 per cent to 10 per cent annual returns.

A Straits Times reconstruction shows how persuasive the pitch was: Lim met prospective investors wearing branded clothes, a luxury watch and a Lamborghini, later an Audi R8. Financial adviser Kevin Lin put in S$484,300 from 2023, including S$291,322 from bank loans. For more than two years, the monthly dividends arrived on time, until February 2026, when a repayment fell short.

The payments then became irregular, and investors discovered they were not alone. Police confirmed that reports have been filed and investigations are ongoing. On 14 July 2026, Lim was declared bankrupt, and he sent WhatsApp messages to investors apologising for the loss and failure.

The collapse has left creditors with little immediate recourse, because Singapore bankruptcy law imposes a moratorium once a bankruptcy order is made and places the debtor's assets under the official assignee or a private trustee.

What the Nozomii Collapse Reveals About Private Investment Pitches

Why the vending-machine story felt credible

Singapore's vending industry is genuine and growing. VendCafe, the first food vending machine cafe, launched in Anchorvale in August 2016, and there are now more than 100,000 vending machines across the country. Euromonitor International puts Singapore's vending machine sales at $117 million in 2024, up from $100 million in 2019. NUS Business School adjunct lecturer Joseph Escobedo has noted that a single machine in a busy location can generate steady revenue with minimal manpower. That legitimate industry narrative gave Lim's pitch a plausible backdrop, even though investors were not shown audited accounts for the specific 500-plus machine claims.

Where Kevin Lin and the other creditors stand

Kevin Lin's investment history tracks the point at which the scheme broke down. He received monthly dividends regularly for over two years, but in February 2026 he was paid only about S$3,500, half of the agreed monthly dividend. March payments resumed only after repeated reminders. Lin hired debt recovery agency JMS Rogers, which recovered S$100,000 for him just before Lim was declared bankrupt. Other investors fared less well: a 46-year-old contractor put in S$190,000 from 2022 and is still owed S$120,600, while Yap, Lim's polytechnic classmate, said he invested S$100,000 in the vending business and handed over another S$150,000 as a personal loan.

The warning signs hidden in plain sight

Reshmi Khurana, a partner and managing director at AlixPartners, said due diligence has to go beyond what car someone drives or what watch they wear. She recommends examining an operator's track record, advisers and previous ventures. Checks on corporate intelligence platform Sayari showed Lim is a shareholder of eight businesses dealing in vending machines, health supplements, management consultancy services and machinery rental. When The Straits Times visited Nozomii Vending's Admiralty office, the front door was locked, and a document left at the gate showed Lim and another individual connected to the business owed creditors S$50,000. These details are not proof of fraud, but they show how shallow verification allowed the losses to accumulate.

What Investors Can Take From the Nozomii Creditors' Experience

  • Verify the business, not the lifestyle. Use corporate records and platforms such as Sayari to trace where money actually sits; Lim's luxury cars and branded clothing said nothing about Nozomii's cash flow.
  • Ask how the return is generated. Promised 5 to 10 per cent annual dividends from vending machines should be tied to specific machines, contracts and payment records, not just industry growth figures.
  • Limit borrowed exposure. Kevin Lin used S$291,322 in bank loans to invest; if a private scheme fails, the debt remains even if the bankruptcy recovery is small.
  • Act early when payments slip. Lin recovered S$100,000 through JMS Rogers only because he pursued collection before the July 2026 bankruptcy order; after that, a statutory moratorium blocks individual enforcement action.
  • Keep records and file reports early. Police reports are already part of this case, and contemporaneous contracts, bank transfers and WhatsApp messages help establish a claim.