KUALA LUMPUR: An accountant thought she had met the love of her life through social media.
For almost seven years, she was involved in the online “courtship” with a so-called American businessman.
Her world came crashing down after discovering the truth – that she was scammed.
The 67-year-old single woman ended up losing more than RM2mil.
Bukit Aman Commercial Crime Investigation Department director Comm Datuk Seri Ramli Mohamed Yoosuf said this was possibly the longest single case of a victim being duped in a love scam.
He said it first started when the woman got to know the man via Facebook in October 2017.
“According to the victim, the scammer introduced himself as an American businessman working in the medical equipment procurement field in Singapore.
“After a month of getting to know each other, they started getting closer and got into an online relationship,” he said at a press conference here yesterday.
The man would then claim that he had interest in moving to Malaysia but could not afford the transportation fees.
She then agreed to help and made her first bank transfer of RM5,000.
From then, the suspect would ask for more money, with excuses such as personal issues and business matters.
“In total, she had been duped into making 306 bank transfers into 50 different bank accounts, amounting to losses of RM2,210,692.60,” Comm Ramli said.
He said the funds included loans from friends and family members.
He said the woman only realised she had been duped all this while after she shared her experience with a friend in November this year.
Comm Ramli said the victim had never seen her so-called lover in real life or even through video calls.
“The man would use all sorts of excuses. It was all only through voice calls,” he said.
Separately, a 57-year-old woman was also duped by a love scam syndicate, with losses amounting to RM2.479mil.
Comm Ramli said the victim, in her police report on Nov 28, said she had started a friendship with a man on Facebook who claimed to be from England.
He then told her of his intention of visiting her in Malaysia.
Not long after, a bogus Customs Department officer called her, saying that her friend had been detained after bringing millions in US currency, Comm Ramli said.
He said she was told that she had to pay fees for various authentication purposes, which oddly included the requirement of a certification from the Health Ministry.
“In total, she made 13 bank transfers to 13 different bank accounts,” he said.
Comm Ramli urged the public to be cautious when communicating online and to be sceptical, especially when money is involved.
