Scammers cheat sexagenarian of RM40k using 'magic ruby'

KUANTAN: A sexagenarian and her husband discovered too late that all that glitters may not be gold.
Convinced by three men that a ruby displayed before them had "magical powers", the 63-year-old woman and her spouse were focused on taking possession of the gemstone.
Yesterday, they handed over RM40,000 to the trio to purchase the ruby – only to discover the men had absconded with the money and the so-called ruby with "magical powers".
The couple lodged a report at about 8pm at the Bera police headquarters.
Pahang Commercial CID chief, Supt Wazir Yusof said in the 1pm incident, the couple was approached by three men in their 40s and 50s, opposite a supermarket in Triang, Bera.
Subsequently, he said, the men – one of whom claimed to be an ustaz – put on an act as if trying to locate an individual known as 'Haji Yusof' to sell a ruby, which was purported to have magical powers.
"Upon seeing the ruby, the victim and her husband made up their mind to purchase it. The woman then withdrew RM40,000 of her savings from banks in Mentakab and Temerloh and handed over the money to the three men," he told reporters, here today.
Wazir said one of the suspects who claimed to be an 'ustaz' then asked the victims to perform a 'syukur' prayer at a mosque in Temerloh.
When the couple emerged from the mosque, there was no sign of the trio. — Bernama