KUALA LUMPUR: An African parcel scam syndicate, which recently “sweet talked” a 38-year-old man into paying them close to RM50,000 was busted by the police with the arrest of two Nigerian men yesterday.
Dang Wangi district deputy police chief Superintendent Habibi Manjiji said the victim, who was working offshore for a local oil and gas company had first engaged with a "woman from United Kingdom (UK)" through Facebook.
"After a few days of communicating through social media, the woman told the victim that she wanted to send a parcel containing jewelry, clothes as well as £200,000 in cash to the victim, here in Malaysia," he said.
On Monday, the victim received a call from a man named James, who claimed to be in charge of the parcel. The victim was instructed to pay an amount of money to release the parcel from customs.
The victim made two transactions on the same day before he was directed to settle a sum of RM38,800 to release the parcel.
After paying a total of RM47,730, James had called the victim again, asking him to pay yet another sum of money.
Habibi said the victim then realised he was being conned and lodge a report on Wednesday.
In less than 24 hours, Dang Wangi Commercial Crime Department officers led by Inspector Muhammad Azhari Abd Aziz arrested a Nigerian man in Subang Jaya.
Following the arrest, police picked up another Nigerian man in a condominium in the same area.
Habibi said police also seized four laptops, several mobile phones, modems and RM5,000 in cash believed to be part of the victim's payment.
He added police is in the midst of tracking down the man posing as James, the person posing as the woman from UK as well as other members of the syndicate.
Habibi also urged the public to come forward if they believe they had been conned by such scams.