(Miri, 15th) Miri District Police Chief Assistant Commissioner Lee Bing Qiang confirmed that the police commercial crimes investigation unit received a report on the 15th of this month regarding a 'romance scam.' The victim is a 64-year-old local female retiree.
According to reports, the victim earlier received a message from a stranger via TikTok. The individual later continued the conversation on WhatsApp, posing as a foreigner, using stolen photos and forged documents to gain trust.
The suspect claimed to have received approval for a 'mining project,' and on the pretext that his bank account had been frozen or hacked, asked the victim for help in paying upfront fees and related expenses, promising to repay the funds in US dollars in the future. Persuaded by the scammer's sweet talk, the victim fully believed him and made 59 transfers to 9 different third-party accounts, losing a total of RM1,173,700.
It was only after telling her family about the matter that the victim realized she had been deceived, and she immediately reported to the police for help.
The police are investigating the case under Section 420 of the Penal Code (Fraud). Upon conviction, the suspect could face imprisonment of not less than one year and not more than ten years, as well as possible whipping and a fine.
The police advise the public to stay vigilant and not to trust the 'romantic advances' of strangers on social media, especially when financial transactions are involved. If you are unfortunately a victim of a scam, contact the National Scam Response Center (NSRC) hotline 997 as soon as possible so the authorities can take immediate action to freeze the funds.
At the same time, the public can also use the 'Semak Mule' platform provided by the police commercial crimes investigation department to check suspicious bank accounts or phone numbers to avoid falling into scam traps.