JOHOR BARU: While most were celebrating the holidays, a heartless “love scam” syndicate in Johor was busy mining loneliness for profit.
Operating out of quiet suburban houses, these scammers posed as charming companions to lure victims into buying “expensive gifts” that never existed. Their operation was professional, lucrative, and cold-blooded – until Johor police brought the curtain down.
The syndicate targeted Chinese nationals residing in China who were seeking companionship.
The group allegedly managed to cheat dozens of victims out of a substantial amount of money, while their “guest relations officers” were paid up to RM6,000 a month to maintain the charade.
Johor police uncovered these activities in a series of raids against love scam groups and bogus investment syndicates in recent days, netting more than 19 people, including 12 foreigners, around Iskandar Puteri and Johor Baru.
Sources say that none of the foreigners, including those from China, Myanmar and Vietnam, had their passports with them during the arrest.
“To date, we have seized more than 40 mobile phones, more than 20 laptops and tablets and other paraphernalia used by the three syndicates to cheat people in Malaysia and China,” the sources said, adding that all the suspects arrested were between 17 and 35 years old.
In the latest raid on a house in Taman Austin, five foreigners, including two women, were arrested for their involvement in the love scam. All the suspects – four Chinese nationals and one Vietnamese woman – have been remanded for investigations.
“Their targets were all lonely victims in China. They are well trained to get close to a victim online and start asking them for money to get presents for themselves, like expensive clothes and other items,” the sources said.
