(Miri, 8th) — Miri District Police Chief, Assistant Commissioner Lee Bing Qiang, issued a statement stating that the Miri Commercial Crime Investigation Unit (BSJKD) received a report regarding a 'love scam' on January 7 this year. The victim was a local woman living in Miri, in her early 40s, who suffered a huge financial loss.
He said investigations showed that the victim, in October 2025, while at her home, met a man who claimed to be a British citizen via social media platform Facebook. The man used the name “Kenneth Liu Zhang.” Subsequently, they moved their communication to WhatsApp and gradually established a so-called “romantic relationship.”
Later, the man told the victim that he would come to Malaysia to meet her on December 22, 2025. However, on that day, the victim received a call from a woman claiming to be a customs officer at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA), stating that “Kenneth Liu Zhang” had been detained at customs for carrying cash exceeding the permitted amount.
“The fake customs officer demanded that the victim pay a fine to help free her 'friend.' Following the suspect's instructions, the victim made a total of 37 transfers in stages to multiple bank accounts.”
He said that it was only after the other party repeatedly made unreasonable requests for further payments that the victim realized she had fallen into the syndicate's scam. According to statistics, the victim suffered a total loss amounting to RM270,800.
The police are currently investigating the case under Section 420 of the Penal Code (Cheating), and the case is being handled by Inspector Sisium Abdul Samad.
Lee Bing Qiang reminded the public to remain vigilant, not to blindly trust strangers met through social media, and never to easily disclose or provide any personal information. At the same time, members of the public are advised to stay cautious when receiving suspicious calls, and to verify information with relevant government agencies for accurate and correct details.
He also urged, if members of the public unfortunately become victims of online scams—including phone scams, romance scams, e-commerce scams, or non-existent loans—and have just transferred money, they should immediately call the National Scam Response Center (NSRC) hotline at 997 to try to freeze their funds in time.
In addition, before conducting any financial transaction, members of the public can use the police CCID's 'Check Scammers' system or visit the police website semakmule.rmp.gov.my to verify suspicious phone numbers and bank accounts.
The public is also encouraged to follow the official Facebook pages of the Royal Malaysia Police Commercial Crime Investigation Department, Cyber Crime Alert, and Sarawak Commercial Crime Investigation Department to keep up to date with the latest scam methods, or to contact the Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID) hotline at 013-211 1222 (WhatsApp/SMS) for consultations and to provide relevant online crime information.
Later, the man told the victim that he would come to Malaysia to meet her on December 22, 2025. However, on that day, the victim received a call from a woman claiming to be a customs officer at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA), stating that “Kenneth Liu Zhang” had been detained at customs for carrying cash exceeding the permitted amount.
“The fake customs officer demanded that the victim pay a fine to help free her 'friend.' Following the suspect's instructions, the victim made a total of 37 transfers in stages to multiple bank accounts.”
He said that it was only after the other party repeatedly made unreasonable requests for further payments that the victim realized she had fallen into the syndicate's scam. According to statistics, the victim suffered a total loss amounting to RM270,800.
The police are currently investigating the case under Section 420 of the Penal Code (Cheating), and the case is being handled by Inspector Sisium Abdul Samad.
Lee Bing Qiang reminded the public to remain vigilant, not to blindly trust strangers met through social media, and never to easily disclose or provide any personal information. At the same time, members of the public are advised to stay cautious when receiving suspicious calls, and to verify information with relevant government agencies for accurate and correct details.
He also urged, if members of the public unfortunately become victims of online scams—including phone scams, romance scams, e-commerce scams, or non-existent loans—and have just transferred money, they should immediately call the National Scam Response Center (NSRC) hotline at 997 to try to freeze their funds in time.
In addition, before conducting any financial transaction, members of the public can use the police CCID's 'Check Scammers' system or visit the police website semakmule.rmp.gov.my to verify suspicious phone numbers and bank accounts.
The public is also encouraged to follow the official Facebook pages of the Royal Malaysia Police Commercial Crime Investigation Department, Cyber Crime Alert, and Sarawak Commercial Crime Investigation Department to keep up to date with the latest scam methods, or to contact the Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID) hotline at 013-211 1222 (WhatsApp/SMS) for consultations and to provide relevant online crime information.