Man loses RM94,250 to online ‘American woman friend’

KUCHING: An online friendship with an ‘American woman’ cost a warehouse assistant here over RM90,000 after it was discovered to be part of a scam.

Sarawak Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID) head Supt Mustafa Kamal Gani Abdullah said the 40-year-old man befriended the woman, who claimed to be a student at a private university in Miri, on Facebook in November last year.

“As their friendship grew, the woman began asking the man for money, giving various reasons such as to pay for her education or because her family was in financial distress,” he said in a statement yesterday.

According to him, the victim deposited a total of RM94,250 on four different occasions, between Jan 18 and Jan 31 this year, to help his ‘ friend’, and would have probably continued to transfer money had it not been for a phone call from a man claiming to be the woman’s father.

“The woman’s ‘ father’ said he had sent a gift to the victim as a token of his appreciation. Not long after that, someone claiming to be a delivery company agent called the victim saying the goods had arrived.”

Mustafa Kamal said upon being told he needed to pay RM40,800 in order to claim the goods, the victim realised he had been cheated all this while and, upon the advice of friends, lodged a police report yesterday.

“I urge members of the public to be vigilant against such scams, whether over the telephone or over the internet. Those with queries can go to Sarawak CCID or the nearest police station if they suspect they are being conned,” he said.