JOHOR BARU: A delivery man lost RM63,826 after falling victim to a ‘love scam’ orchestrated by a woman he had known for only 20 days.
Johor Baru police chief ACP Raub Selamat said the 28-year-old victim, a local man, claimed to have met a woman known as Leong, through the WeChat application but she is believed to have used a fake identity.
"The incident occurred in August last year. Just 20 days after getting to know each other, the suspect, who is believed to be a local woman, asked the victim for financial help to cover her mother's medical expenses as she was ill.
"The suspect also threatened to end the relationship if the victim failed to meet her demand. The victim made 16 online money transfers to a bank account from Aug 25 to Nov 16, 2024,” he said in a statement on Monday (Jan 6).
He added that the victim then asked to meet the suspect and her family, but the suspect kept avoiding meetings, offering various excuses.
"Disappointed with the suspect's actions, the victim conducted an internet search and discovered that the profile picture of the suspect on WeChat was of a famous Hong Kong actress. The victim then lodged a police report, believing he had fallen victim to an online love scam,” he said.
The case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating. - Bernama
