Compiled by JAROD LIM, FATIMAH ZAINAL and R. ARAVINTHAN
SCAMMERS are now disguising themselves as good-looking South Korean men to form relationships with Malaysian women before cheating them of their money in a new tactic called the “oppa” (older brother) scam, Harian Metro reported.
These fakers would use pictures of Korean men to prey on victims through social media.
Several months into a “relationship”, the men would claim they are in financial trouble and ask their victims for money.
Acknowledging the existence of the “oppa” fraud, Bukit Aman Commercial Crime Investigation Department director Datuk Seri Ramli Mohamed Yoosuf said such love scams were among the most frequently reported category of online crimes, with 7,554 cases involving more than RM382mil losses recorded within five years.
He said a study conducted by the department found that almost 83% (6,257) of these cases involved female victims.
Most of them were single mothers or unmarried women, Ramli Mohamed said.
> Actress Mawar Rashid, who recently opened up about mental health issues, said she never intended to use the problem to gain public attention or sympathy.
Utusan Malaysia quoted Mawar as saying that she would not use the situation for personal gain and that she had always tried to seek treatment, besides relying on the support system around her.
“I’m not making up stories. Don’t be ashamed to get treatment. See a psychiatrist. We cannot self-diagnose and try to treat ourselves,” she said.
“To say that I deliberately created the publicity is completely inappropriate.
“I have many artiste friends who also face the same issues.”
Mawar voiced her gratitude to her husband and three children.
“I am grateful to have a husband who is patient,” she said, adding that her family and close friends have stood by her as well.
She married entrepreneur and actor Raden Ahmad Faizal Yaakob in 2017.
The above articles are compiled from the vernacular newspapers (Bahasa Malaysia, Chinese and Tamil dailies). As such, stories are grouped according to the respective language/medium. Where a paragraph begins with a >, it denotes a separate news item.
