GEORGE TOWN: A woman made 71 bank transfers over 15 months, totalling RM2.34mil after being introduced to a man by her aunt.
Penang acting police chief Datuk Mohd Alwi Zainal Abidin said the 53-year-old programming manager at a factory in Bayan Lepas lodged a report on July 8.
He said the victim’s aunt introduced the victim to a man who claimed to be a Singaporean named Perry Chen, living in Ottawa, Canada.
“The suspect met the victim’s aunt during a seminar in Kuala Lumpur. Throughout their acquaintance, the victim and suspect only communicated via WhatsApp.
“In March 2024, the suspect claimed he was involved in an electrical grid installation project with the Oman government and sought her help to transfer money for raw materials, saying Internet access in Oman was unstable,” he said in a statement.
Mohd Alwi said on Friday (Aug 8) that the victim then made transfers as instructed, but was told the transactions failed because they involved different countries.
The suspect then asked her to pay bank service charges first, promising to reimburse her.
“She made 58 transfers between March 28 and Aug 18, 2024, totalling RM1.94mil, to nine local bank accounts given by the suspect,” he said.
Mohd Alwi then added that in September 2024, the suspect told her he had deposited a cheque for US$404,500 into Heritage Asset Bank Oman to repay her.
“She was later contacted by someone claiming to be a Malaysian branch bank officer, who told her she needed to pay bank charges before the cheque could be cleared,” he said.
Between Sept 25, 2024, and July 4 this year, she made another 13 transfers, amounting to RM399,407.
She realised she had been duped when the suspect’s explanations no longer made sense.
The case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating.
Mohd Alwi advised the public to be wary of scammers using fake relationships for financial gain.
He said such scams cause financial losses and emotional trauma and urged people not to share personal or financial details with online acquaintances, especially if they ask for money or gifts.
Mohd Alwi also advised using reverse image searches to verify photos.
“Do not keep online relationships a secret; share them with family or friends for advice,” he added.
He called on the public to help combat online scams by sharing information on the latest modus operandi.
