JOHOR BARU: A 28-year-old delivery worker fell victim to an online romance scam last year, losing RM63,826 to a woman he met on WeChat.
The man was smitten by the woman's attractive profile he saw online in August last year. He claimed that she was based in Malaysia. He developed an online relationship within 20 days.
However, his hopes were dashed when she demanded financial assistance for her ailing mother.
Despite his reservations, he made 16 online transactions, transferring a total of RM63,826 to her bank accounts between Aug 25 and Nov 16 last year.
When he attempted to meet her and her mother, she consistently made excuses.
Suspicious, he used Google Image Search to discover that her profile picture belonged to a Hong Kong actress.
When he confronted her, he was immediately blocked on all communication platforms.
Heartbroken and financially devastated, the man lodged a police report.
Johor Baru (South) police chief, Assistant Commissioner Raub Selamat said the case was classified as cheating and that investigations were underway to identify the individuals behind the fraudulent bank accounts.
He urged the public to exercise extreme caution when interacting with strangers online.
"Do not fall for sweet promises on social media," he said in a statement today.
He advised the public to verify suspicious contacts using apps like Truecaller and "Semak Mule", and to report any suspected fraud to the National Scam Response Centre at 997.