GEORGE TOWN: A businessman, 60, lost RM1.46 million in an international scam.
The Penang-based ice cube distributor only had himself to blame as the payout, at a mind boggling RM50 million, was too enticing and he ended up more than RM1 million poorer.
State Commercial Crime Investigation Department chief Assistant Commissioner Azmi Adam said the businessman had deposited the money into several designated bank accounts in separate transactions after receiving emails from the syndicate members.
“The syndicate had allegedly swindled the money from the businessman with the promise of making a fortunate.
“The culprits posed as officials from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and said that he was chosen as a fund recipient by the United States government.
“The syndicate coaxed the businessman by saying that he was chosen as one of the 50 elite recipients worldwide but that he must pay up before getting the fund. They convinced him that he was in the running to win the grand prize,” he said in a press conference at the state police contingent headquarters, here, yesterday.
Azmi said the payout was too good to be true, but the distributor opted to believe in it and paid the price for his greed.
Following a report lodged by the man in May, Azmi said police had rounded up five Nigerians and two local women involved in the scam.
He said the raiding team nabbed the suspects at undisclosed locations in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor on Thursday after conducting stakeouts at both places for a month.
Azmi said several other people, including foreigners, had been duped by the syndicate, adding that initial investigations revealed that the money had been wired into the suspects’ accounts from neighbouring countries.
Police seized several laptops, mobile phones, bank automated teller machine (ATM) cards and documents from the suspects believed to be used in the scam.
He said the suspects, aged between 20 and 55, had been remanded to assist in the investigation.