19-Year-Old Student Lost Nearly RM50k To Love Scam Syndicate
The victim first met the scammer through the Telegram app, before continuing on WhatsApp.
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A female student at a local university in Sabah lost almost RM50,000 after being deceived by a love scam syndicate.
The 19-year-old victim experienced the misfortune after meeting a man through the Telegram application on 5 February.
According to Utusan Borneo, the victim and the syndicate initially only interacted on Telegram before connecting through the WhatsApp application until they became close friends.
The man involved then asked for financial help from the victim on the pretext of buying online game software.
The victim believed the suspect and sent money in stages into five different accounts.
She felt deceived when the man involved did not return the borrowed money and instead continued to ask for money from him.
He added that the victim then made a police report for further action.
Meanwhile, Kota Kinabalu District Police Chief, Assistant Commissioner Mohd Zaidi Abdullah, confirmed the incident.
He said the incident is still under further investigation according to Section 420 of the Penal Code.
The public is advised to be careful with scammer fraud cases that have been widely publicized by the Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM) and other parties and reports in the mainstream media.
Don’t easily believe in persuasion from someone you have never met through social media.
Kota Kinabalu District Police Chief, Assistant Commissioner Mohd Zaidi Abdullah, reminding the public to be careful.
What to Know About Romance Scams
A love scam is a scam that targets individuals looking for romantic partners online.
In Malaysia, love scams have become increasingly common in recent years, with scammers often using dating websites or social media to target their victims.
The typical love scam in Malaysia involves a scammer creating a fake online persona, often using stolen photographs and then striking up a conversation with their victim.
Singapore, Malaysia police team up to cripple cross-border Internet love scam syndicates involved in 108 cases https://t.co/hSwIH0BUPl pic.twitter.com/yOqLfetKcJ
— The Straits Times (@straits_times) February 13, 2017
Over time, the scammer will try to build a relationship with the victim, often by sending flattering messages and making promises of love and affection.
Once the scammer has gained the victim’s trust, they may ask for money.
This can take many forms, such as requests for travel expenses to meet in person, medical expenses, or even requests for cash to help with a supposed financial emergency.
15 Feb 2023 | Rabu :
— RELA Malaysia (@relamalaysia) February 15, 2023
Atas permintaan ramai, min belanja skit info scammer yg salahguna cinta @ Love Scam.😘💔
Kuang ajaq depa main perasaan org noo..#SetiaBerbakti #KDN_Madani #KeselamatanTanggungjawabBersama@KDNPUTRAJAYA @saifnasution @drshamsulanuar @wandahlan @yahyakgc pic.twitter.com/PiOImrbmGd
In many cases, the victims of love scams in Malaysia are older individuals who may be more vulnerable to these types of scams.
To avoid falling victim to a love scam, it is important to be cautious when speaking to people online, especially if they ask for money or personal information.
It’s also a good idea to research the person you are talking to and avoid sending money to people you have never met in person.
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