KOTA KINABALU – A woman lost a whopping RM2.5 million in a love scam after being acquainted with an individual who had introduced himself as a Korean man on Instagram.
The woman had transferred money to 24 bank accounts through 42 transactions over two months from May 26.
Sabah police commissioner Datuk Jauteh Dikun said the 46-year-old victim is an assistant manager at a private company.
“Within just two weeks of knowing the man, the victim began trusting him,” he told reporters at the Penampang police headquarters today.
She only realised she was cheated after she was unable to contact the man and lodged a police report yesterday.
Investigations revealed that the victim found the suspect on Instagram and he introduced himself as “Ji-won from Korea”.
The suspect told the victim that his oil and gas company was facing problems and asked for her help.
The suspect assured the victim he would repay the money as soon as matters were settled.
Police are investigating the case under Section 420 of the Penal Code and identifying the account owners, who were mostly unaware of the transactions.
“These account owners were found to have provided their accounts to third parties solely to receive payments due to financial difficulties,” he added. – The Vibes, July 13, 2023