Woman conned of RM20,000

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MUAR: At least 20 people, mostly women, have fallen prey to conmen who fleeced them of thousands of ringgit in Internet scams this year.

Muar police chief Asst Comm Mohammed Nasir Ramli said the number would increase if people continue to believe in strangers they met online.

Speaking to reporters, he said at least two cases were reported every month despite police warnings and advised to the public not to trust anyone they did not know.

“We have time and again disclosed cases of women losing monies to strangers they met online, especially on Facebook.

A lesson to all: ACP Mohammed Nasir (left) and commercial crime investigation officer Insp Abdul Basir Hashim (right) showing a police report lodged by the woman photographer after she was conned of RM20,000 by a ‘Dr Farouk’ she befriended on her Facebook.

“However, our advice and warnings were not heeded and we have another woman who is cheated of RM20,000 by an online scam syndicate,” he said at his office recently.

ACP Mohammed Nasir said the woman who was a photographer was cheated of RM20,000 to a ‘Dr Farouk’ who claimed to live in the United Kingdom.

He said the man befriended the woman, aged 38, through Facebook and after a few days, told the woman he wanted to send her some items as presents.

The items, he added, included jewellery, a laptop as well as some currencies in US Dollars and British Pounds.

Although the woman tried to reject the presents, the man insisted and she later received a call from someone who claimed to be a Customs officer at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport.

ACP Mohammed Nasir said the officer had informed her about a parcel addressed to her but she needed to pay a tax of RM12,000 before the parcel could be delivered to her.

He added that the woman made two cash deposits at a bank here into an account number given by the caller but the caller asked for another RM8,000 on Nov 1.

However, he said, when the woman did not receive the parcel but instead received another call asking for more cash, she realised she had been conned.

ACP Mohammed Nasir said the woman decided to come to the police station to lodge a report on Nov 2.

“We hope this incident will be a lesson to others not to fall prey to strangers they meet online or over the telephones.

“We will investigate the case under Section 420 of the Penal Code,” he added.