KOTA BARU: Woe befell a government pensioner when he was cheated of RM10,400 by a woman who was believed to be a member of a “Love Scam” syndicate.
Kelantan Commercial Crime Investigation Division (CCID) chief, Supt Ahmad Azizul Mohamed said, according to the victim, his son had uploaded a status on the social media two months ago seeking contributions (for the victim) to buy a dialysis machine and to finance his treatment amounting to RM100,000.
In mid-September, he said the victim, in his 60’s, befriended a woman on Facebook purportedly from England and was now staying in the United States.
“The woman who claimed she was working with a well-known international oil company had expressed her willingness to make a financial donation to him,” he said.
On September 21, the victim received a telephone call from someone who introduced himself as an officer of a local bank in the national capital who claimed he wanted to make a confirmation on a financial transaction by his woman acquaintance from a bank overseas to the bank account belonging to the victim.
“The victim was then asked to make payments for changing US Dollar to Malaysian Ringgit to a local bank account belonging to an individual (third party) who was allegedly an agent of the foreign bank,” he said in a statement today.
Ahmad Azizul said the victim had made several payments totalling RM10,400 to the bank account given by the suspect.
He said the victim only realised that he had been cheated when the suspect was still asking for payments to be made other than suspecting the RM100,000 promised as “financial donation” too did not exist.
“We find in this case the modus operandi of the criminals was taking advantage over the individual (in distress) by offering financial aid aimed at entrapping him.
“The case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code and could be fined up to 10 years and caned if found guilty,” he added. — Bernama
