Company director loses RM1.25mil to love scam

KUALA LUMPUR: A 60-year-old woman lost RM1.25mil after she was duped by a love scam.

Bukit Aman Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID) director Comm Datuk Seri Ramli Mohamed Yoosuf said the company director lodged a police report over the matter on June 28.

"She got to know a man on Facebook, who claimed to be a Singaporean working in the United Kingdom.

"He told her he was coming to Malaysia to get a Petronas project and would meet the victim.

"However, he asked the victim for a loan as capital to get the project and promised to pay her back," he said when contacted on Saturday (July 13).

Believing the ruse, the victim performed 11 transactions to two bank accounts, totalling RM1.25mil, he said.

"She realised she was duped when she told a friend about the whole situation.

"By that time, it was way too late," he said.

Comm Ramli said love scam cases keep occurring despite constant reminders from the police.

"We don't rule out the possibility that the syndicates are playing with the victims' emotion to convince them to follow any instruction.

"Investigations showed that some victims knew the modus operandi of love scam syndicates but they let their feelings cloud their judgment until they fall into the syndicates' traps," he said.

In 2022, a total of 792 love scam cases were recorded involving RM56.2mil in losses, Comm Ramli said.

"Last year, the number of cases increased to 935 cases with RM43.9mil in losses.

"As of June this year, 249 cases were recorded involving RM12.8mil in losses," he said.

He advised those who befriend people online to be careful and not to be easily swayed by sweet promises.

"People should realise that online dating or online love are only ruses if one party keeps asking for money despite not meeting in person," he said.