Woman loses RM348,050 to Facebook friend

MIRI: An administrative clerk lost RM348,050 after being duped by a male friend she knew through the Facebook since January 2014.

The 52-year-old woman had lodged a police report at 4.08pm Friday and the case was being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code, which provides for a jail term of not more than 10 years and a fine upon conviction.

Miri Police Chief, ACP Gan Tian Kee said police would take follow-up action by obtaining the bank account of the victim and seek help from Bukit Aman police.

 "Don't be easily taken in by Facebook friends, especially those promising lucrative returns as this is the modus operandi of confidence tricksters," he said Saturday.

Gan said that based on the facts of the case, the woman was contacted by the man who is believed to be a British national, who sought the victim's help by claiming that he had inherited £120,000 (RM632,400) from his late father which had been posted to Malaysia.

 "The man claimed that the money would be used to spend life with the victim," he said, adding that on July 10, a woman believed to be a British national too, had contacted the victim to say that the money had arrived at the KL International Airport.

Gan said the woman asked the victim to pay the postage fee of RM6,450 and the victim had paid the postage fee by depositing the money into the bank account given by the woman.

Subsequently, he said, the victim was again contacted by the woman who asked her to increase the payment which, she claimed, was to pay for the legal fees to obtain the certificate to get the money totalling RM632,400.

 "The victim was again contacted by the man on July 18, claiming that he had arrived in Kuala Lumpur and asked her to make the payment," he said.

He said that the victim was told that the money was purportedly for payment of taxes and the victim had made 13 transactions at various banks in instalments. - Bernama