Secretary loses RM120,000 to parcel scam

JOHOR BARU: A lonely secretary who befriended a foreigner on Facebook several months ago was elated when her new-found boyfriend proposed and wanted to send her some gifts.

However, their online relationship did not last as the woman, in her 50s, lodged a report after she parted with her life savings.

It began when the suspect told her that he was sending her gifts worth hundreds of thousands of ringgit that included jewellery and expensive items.

Apparently, several weeks ago, the woman got a call from a person claiming to be a Customs officer saying that the gifts had arrived at the KL International Airport.

However, she had to pay some “fees” to get them released.

The woman made several payments totalling more than RM120,000 and lodged the police report when she did not get her gifts.

Police are investigating the case under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating.

Meanwhile, in an unrelated case, seven foreigners arrested in a series of raids in Kuala Lumpur turned out to be members of an African love scam who allegedly conned victims through social media.

Iskandar Puteri OCPD Supt Noor Hashim Mohamad said the victims, mainly women, were taken in by their sweet promises.

“Some are even duped into banking in money into the account of the suspects,” he said.

Earlier, The Star reported that six Nigerians and a Liberian were arrested for cheating a businesswoman of RM500,000 in a black money scam several days ago.

It is learnt that the businesswo­man, in her 30s, was introduced to a supposedly new business venture several weeks ago without knowing that a syndicate was behind it.

She was asked to attend a special preview at a posh hotel in Kuala Lumpur where the syndicate members used special chemicals to turn blank paper into US$100 notes.

The woman was convinced when a money changer accepted the notes.

She ended up giving the syndicate members RM500,000.