KUANTAN: Though travel restrictions are in place due to the movement control order (MCO), a teacher nonetheless fell victim to a love scam after believing that an alleged con artist had traveled from a neighbouring country to meet her in Kuala Lumpur.
To make matters worse, the 42-year-old victim who befriended the suspect on social media in February lost RM93,000 of her heard earned savings.
Pahang Commercial Crime Investigation Department chief Superintendent Mohd Wazir Mohd Yusof said the victim became friends with the Indonesian man in February before she sent RM6,000 cash to him on March 17.
"The suspect claimed he had financial problems to travel to Malaysia, so the victim transferred the cash through an overseas money transfer platform. The following day, she sent another RM6,000 cash.
"On April 6, she received a WhatsApp message from the suspect claiming he had arrived in Malaysia but was facing problems with the authorities. The suspect claimed that he could not exchange his Indonesian Rupiah to the local currency to make the necessary payments for his travel documents," he said.
Wazir said the victim pitied the suspect and continued sending money to him and checks revealed she had sent a total of RM93,000 up to 8pm on April 11.
"The victim managed to contact the suspect at about 10am on April 11 and informed him that she will travel to Kuala Lumpur to meet him. However, the suspect told her to wait until the currency exchange process is completed to allow him to repay her cash.
"That was the last she heard from him. The suspect could no longer be contacted and there has been no news from him," he said, adding the victim realised she has been cheated and lodged a police report at the district police station yesterday.
Meanwhile, in a separate case, a 27-year-old online seller was duped off RM9,600 after Macau scammers impersonating as a Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) officer and a policemen tricked her into providing her bank accounts details.
Wazir said in the incident on April 10, a MACC officer called the victim claiming she had outstanding tax payments and when the victim denied it, she was told to lodge a police report.
"Barely an hour later, a policeman called her asking for her MyKad details for investigation purposes and informed she was involved in money laundering activities. Later, another individual called her requesting her bank account details.
"Tricked into believing the call was from Bank Negara, the victim provided her bank details and even agreed to change her online transfer limit. Later the same night she realised RM9,600 has been transferred into an unknown bank account," he said, adding the victim lodged a police report yesterday.
Wazir said both cases were being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating, which provides for a maximum jail term of 10 years and whipping, and a fine if convicted.