A 67-year-old woman from Malaysia was cheated of more than RM2.2 million (approximately INR 4.3 crore) over nearly ten years, falling prey to a long-running love scam without ever meeting the scammer. The woman first got in touch with the fraudster on Facebook in October 2017 when he introduced himself as an American businessman in Singapore involved in the procurement of medical equipment. After a month of online communication, they started an online relationship.
He frequently asked her for cash because of personal and business issues. She remitted a total of 306 transfers to 50 account holders. The total amount she was duped of is RM2,210,692.60, including loans the woman took from her families and friends. During this entire communication process, at no point did the girl see the guy in face-to-face communication or through video calling; all communication happened through the voice call.
It was only last November this year, after discussing her experiences with a friend, that the woman realized she had been scammed.
This case may be the longest-running love scam involving a single victim, said Comm Ramli Mohamed Yoosuf, Director of Bukit Aman’s Commercial Crime Investigation Department. He urged the public to be cautious when engaging in online relationships, especially when money is involved. “Do not rush into ‘serious’ relationships. Be sceptical when it seems too good to be true and when someone quickly pushes for a serious relationship. Question intentions, especially when a new relationship involves requests for money or personal details,” he advised.
