KEPALA BATAS – Thrilled by the prospect of a free gift, a woman ended up losing RM177,500 to a “Polish man” she met on Facebook.
The suspect convinced the housewife that she will get a “special gift” for being his friend, but she would first have to fork out RM177,500 for what was later established to be an African scam.
The victim, in her 40s, befriended the man online a month ago, and formed a “relationship” with him.
Seberang Prai Utara district police chief Noorzainy Mohd Noor said the suspect told the woman that he had sent a gift via a Kuala Lumpur delivery company.
“However, the woman was asked to make some payments, which included taxes, insurance and other service charges, to redeem the goods sent,” he said in a statement yesterday.
“Without thinking, the victim made the payments to redeem the gift, but then realised that she had fallen victim to fraud.”
The victim made 17 transactions over two days starting December 7 to five local bank accounts under different names.
“The victim lodged a police report yesterday after she realised that she had been cheated,” said Noorzainy.
She told police that the money was part of her own savings, as well as her mother’s savings and funds borrowed from her brother.
“Police are not ruling out the possibility that the man said to be from Poland is part of a parcel scam syndicate, based on the modus operandi used.”
The case is being investigated under Section 430 of the Penal Code, which carries a jail sentence of not less than five years and a maximum of 30 years, or a fine, or both, upon conviction. – The Vibes, December 12, 2020
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