IPOH: A 27-year-old fisherman in Kerian has been cheated of about RM284,850 after falling victim to a love scam and nonexistent cryptocurrency scheme.
Perak police chief Comm Datuk Mohd Yusri Hassan Basri said the fisherman was contacted by a woman in November on the WeChat messaging app.
"The man fell in love and was later introduced to a cryptocurrency scheme in January with the promise of lucrative returns.
"The victim was told he could get RM200,000 with an investment of just RM30,000," he said in a statement on Wednesday (July 26).
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"From March 6 to July 15, the victim made 99 online transactions into 21 bank accounts involving RM284,850," he said, adding that a report was lodged in Kerian on Tuesday (July 25).
"The money consisted of the victim's savings, as well as loans from family members, friends and his employer," he added.
Comm Mohd Yusri said the woman kept asking the victim to continue investing even though he had run out of money.
"The victim asked the woman to return the money but was given various excuses and she then stopped responding to messages.
"The case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating," he said.
"The people are advised not to be easily deceived by love scams and investment schemes that don't exist," he added.
