A Malaysian woman, a victim of a romance scam, assaulted her husband for attempting to expose the con, unwilling to face the truth. - Illustrative photo: Shutterstock
KUALA LUMPUR: A Malaysian woman, who fell victim to an online romance scam and accumulated substantial debt, became agitated when the deception was revealed, even resorting to assaulting her husband in the aftermath.
The incident came to light after Gao, a 47-year-old Chinese businessman from Kajang, Selangor, disclosed that earlier this year he discovered his 45-year-old wife was involved in an online affair, prompting him to file for divorce in June.
At a press conference, Gao shared that his wife had exhibited signs of emotional instability for 15 years but had consistently refused to seek medical treatment.
Her situation deteriorated after she fell for an online romance scam, incurring significant debt that exacerbated her emotional outbursts.
Gao explained that they had been married for 16 years and have four children aged between six and 15.
In January, he learned that his wife had connected with a man online who claimed to be from London. This man made extravagant promises, including a marriage proposal and a gift of a private jet for their travels together.
“The scammer also claimed to be planning a 50 billion ringgit investment in a Malaysian theme park, and my wife completely believed him. She gave away her insurance payout from a cervical cancer diagnosis six years ago and even took out high-interest loans, transferring over 1 million ringgit (US$225,000) to him,” Gao stated.
Earlier this month, loan sharks began appearing at their home, demanding repayment and even threatening to kidnap their children after Gao refused to pay.
“I don’t know exactly how much she owes, but her father recently paid off 10,000 ringgit on her behalf. Now, more loan sharks are pursuing us, and she has even directed them to me for money,” he explained.
Compounding the escalating situation, Gao believes his wife has come to realise she has been scammed but refuses to accept the truth, expressing her frustration through violent outbursts directed at him.
On September 18, while visiting their four children, Gao was assaulted and forcibly removed from their home, resulting in bruises on his back.
“She has also resorted to violence in the past when I refused to give her money. But I will not fund her delusions and continue enabling her to send money to these ‘online lovers’,” he asserted.
Gao further noted that his wife’s emotional instability has intensified, leading her to smash a floor-to-ceiling window during one of her recent episodes.
Currently, Gao and his wife have been living separately for about six months and are in the process of obtaining a divorce. The four children continue to live with their mother while Gao has moved out.
As of now, Gao’s wife has not responded to the allegations.
The incident, reported by Sin Chew Daily, has shocked many online viewers.
One commenter remarked: “It’s so true, you can never wake someone who is pretending to sleep.”
Another added: “Oh my God, please divorce quickly. She is really foolish, reckless, and violent.” - South China Morning Post
