After falling victim to a Love Scam, a widow in Penang recently lost RM3.9 Million.
The 63-year-old woman allegedly befriended a “South Korean man” on Instagram in December of last year.
They then communicated via Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), a technology that allows people to make voice calls over the Internet rather than over a traditional (or analog) phone line.
Photo via Free Malaysia Today
The man, who claimed to be Korean and worked on an oil rig, had vowed to take care of the woman until she dies. He had given her photos and videos to make her believe that he is a real person.
According to the New Straits Times, Penang police chief, Datuk Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain said the woman was told that the man was in desperate need of money, and between December last year and March 2022, the woman has made 184 transactions totaling RM3.9 Million into 18 separate bank accounts.
“She transferred between RM9,000 to RM50,000 per transaction.”
He also said that the suspect was aware of the bank limits and didn’t want to make it obvious so he only asked for little amounts, which then grew bigger and bigger.
He continued: “The victim finally realized that she had been duped after a search on the internet showed similar photos given by the suspect but with other people’s faces on them,” he said.
Photo via Yahoo! News
The victim then files a police report on Monday (March 21st) at the state police headquarters.
The money was left to her by her late husband, who was a businessman.
In the meantime, police are still on the lookout for the suspect and believe that such schemes are frequently carried out by Nigerians.
He also warned the public to be careful when using the internet, especially when meeting people you don’t know on social media.
The case is currently being investigated under Section 429 of the Penal Code for Cheating.
That is a lot of money! So kesian… We hope the police find the suspect ASAP so that the woman could get her money back!
By: Aishah Akashah Ahadiat
