Woman in Sibu loses RM86,841 to love scam

SIBU (Nov 16): A local woman here lost RM86,841 after falling victim to a love scam.

Sibu Police Chief ACP Zulkipli Suhaili said the victim, in her 30s, was deceived by a man she met through the Tinder application since June.

He said the suspect, who claimed to be a South Korean citizen, promised to meet the victim after his visa application was approved in early July.

“The suspect also claimed to have sent items, which were allegedly detained by the Indonesian customs before transiting to Malaysia, to the victim.

“On July 25, the victim communicated with someone impersonating a Customs officer, who asked her to make a payment to obtain a release certificate so that the items could be sent to Malaysia,” he said in a statement today.

Believing the deceit, she made 25 transactions into eight local accounts.

“The victim only realised she had been scammed after making payments amounting to RM86,841.

“Moreover, the victim was unable to contact the suspect, prompting her to file a police report at the nearest police station,” he explained.

Zulkipli said the case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating.

He advised the public to be cautious and not easily trust anyone they met through social media.

“Do not easily believe sweet promises, especially when it comes to providing banking information or making payments to unknown parties,” Zulkipli emphasised.

For further information or advice, the public can reach out to the National Scam Response Centre (NSRC) at 997 or visit the Semak Mule website at http://ccid.rmp.gov.my/semakmule.