Malaysian woman loses Rs 4 crore in Facebook dating scam that went on for 10-long years

A 67-year-old Malaysian woman lost more than RM2.2 million (Rs 4.3 crore) over nearly a decade after falling victim to an online dating scam. According to a report by The Star, Bukit Aman Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID) director Comm Datuk Seri Ramli Mohamed Yoosuf stated in a press conference dated December 17 that this might be the longest single case of a victim being duped in a love scam.

How the woman fell victim to dating scam

The victim first connected with the scammer via Facebook in Oct 2017. According to the victim, the scammer introduced himself as an American businessman working in medical equipment procurement in Singapore. The two entered into an online "relationship” after a month of communication.

The fraudster claimed that he wanted to relocate to Malaysia but couldn’t afford the travel expenses. Moved by his situation, she agreed to help and made an initial bank transfer of RM5,000.

“From then on, the suspect frequently asked for more money, citing personal and business issues. She was duped into making 306 bank transfers to 50 different bank accounts, totalling losses of RM2,210,692.60,” Yoosuf explained.

Victim never met the person

Adding that the funds included loans from friends and family members, Yoosuf said that the victim never met her so-called lover in person or via video calls. "The man used all sorts of excuses. It was only through voice calls," he said.

The victim realized she had been scammed only after discussing her experience with a friend in November this year.

Tips to avoid falling victim to dating scams

Some of the tips include –

• Verify identity by conducting a reverse image search of their profile photos. Scammers often use stolen images.
• Be wary of overly romantic gestures. Take your time to get to know someone before trusting them fully.
• Never send money to someone you haven’t met in person, no matter how convincing their story may be.
• Be cautious of individuals who claim to have emergencies like needing money for medical bills, travel expenses, or family crises.
• Avoid moving communication to private channels (like WhatsApp or email) too soon, as this can make it harder to report fraudulent activity.