Cyber Casanova Scams: Sabahan cheated of RM1.1 million

Cyber Casanova

Facebook scams: Six arrested 

SHAH ALAM: Police have busted a syndicate believed to have cheated its victims of RM1.11 million through the social networking website, Facebook, following the arrest of four male foreigners and two local women in “Ops Tiong” in the Federal capital on Tuesday.

Federal Police Commercial Crime Investigation Depariment Director, Datuk Syed Ismail Syed Azizan, said the two African nationals, two Bangladeshis and two local women, all aged 23 to 33, were arrested at different locations in Kepong following a police report lodged by a 48-year-old woman in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, in March.

“The two Bangladeshis were workers of the first suspect, an African," he told reporters after making a working visit to the Selangor police headquarters, here, Wednesday.

He said the syndicate's modus operandi involved getting to know the victims through Facebook and after a few weeks, the suspects would dupe the victims by saying that they had obtained a project with Petronas and were waiting for the balance of the payment amounting to about RM4.6 million.

"The suspects claimed that there were stamp-duty and insurance charges to be paid before they could get the contract.

"They would also have sought the use of the victims' bank account to receive money from the so-called contract."

Syed Ismail said during the arrests, police seized RM15,000 in cash, 18 bank ATM cards, seven handphones and computer laptop.

He said all the suspects were being remanded under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property.

He also disclosed that last year, 1,114 cheating cases through the Internet were reported nationwide involving RM3.12 million in losses to the victims - Bernama

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Rugi RM1j angkara cinta internet

Rakan kongsi warga asing lesap selepas mangsa masuk wang dalam akaun

SHAH ALAM: Hubungan cinta dan perniagaan yang dijalin melalui laman sosial Facebook menyebabkan seorang akauntan dari Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, kehilangan lebih RM1 juta kerana ditipu rakan kongsi yang tidak pernah ditemuinya.

Mangsa, Helen Chin, 48, dikatakan berkenalan dan bercinta dengan warga Britain dikenali sebagai Alex Bob menerusi Facebook awal tahun ini dan bersetuju menjadi rakan kongsi perniagaan berkaitan industri hiliran ditawarkan Petronas Carigali Malaysia Berhad (PETRONAS) di Ketereh, Terengganu. Bagaimanapun, lelaki maya itu meminta Helen membantu menyelesaikan beberapa perkara berkaitan akaun, duti setem, insurans serta pelbagai bayaran lain dengan alasan dia tidak memiliki akaun di negara ini.

Helen memenuhi permintaan kekasih dan rakan kongsinya itu dengan memasukkan wang tunai berjumlah RM1,110,350 ke dalam akaun lelaki berkenaan secara berperingkat antara 29 Mac hingga 19 April lalu.

Mangsa terpaksa `bergolok gadai' dan meminjam wang daripada rakan bagi menyokong perniagaannya tetapi lelaki maya itu tiba-tiba lesap bulan lalu dan gagal dihubungi melalui telefon, selain memadam profilnya dalam laman sosial popular itu.

Berikutan aduan mangsa baru-baru ini, polis menahan empat rakyat asing dan dua warga tempatan berusia antara 22 dan 33 tahun termasuk lelaki yang menyamar sebagai Alex Bob di Desa Aman Puri, Kepong dekat sini, petang kelmarin.

Pengarah Jabatan Siasatan Jenayah Komersial Bukit Aman, Datuk Syed Ismail Syed Azizan, berkata dalam serbuan pada jam 3 petang itu, polis merampas wang tunai RM15,000, 18 keping kad mesin juruwang automatik (ATM) pelbagai bank, tujuh telefon bimbit dan sebuah komputer riba dipercayai digunakan kumpulan terbabit.

“Semua suspek yang kini direman di Balai Polis Kepong, akan didakwa minggu depan,” katanya pada sidang media di Ibu Pejabat Kontinjen Polis (IPK) Selangor, di sini, semalam.

Katanya, penipuan menerusi laman sosial membabitkan warga asing terus berleluasa dan tahun lalu saja, sebanyak 1,201 kes jenayah dilaporkan berlaku, membabitkan kerugian berjumlah RM20.8 juta.

Beliau mengingatkan orang ramai sentiasa berhati-hati ketika melayari Facebook kerana laman itu kini menjadi tumpuan utama penjenayah mencari mangsa.

Oleh Zailani Ahmad