SIBU: A 67-year widow here claimed to have lost RM27,050 in a Facebook love scam.
The woman, surnamed Lau was acquainted with a man purportedly called Junho Lee from the United States via Facebook several months ago.
After exchanging messages, the man promised her expensive jewellery and gifts.
On Aug 13, she was said to have received a call from the man, telling her to deposit RM7,800 into a given bank account under the name of Katmi Sardani as import duties for the delivery of the gifts.
The next day, she was told to bank another RM12,000 into an account under the name of Jainah Osman and another RM7,250 to yet another bank account under the name of Chong Teck Chin as payment of taxes to the Customs department.
The woman realised she had been cheated when she was asked to bank in another RM12,500 and lodged a police report.
In a separate incident, an 18-year-old labourer lost RM2,000 in another cheating case.
According to him, a man claiming to be a bank officer telephoned him on Aug 13 to say that his savings account had been frozen and to reactivate it, he had to deposit RM1,000.
The labourer obliged and he received another call from ‘the officer’ telling him to update his phone number.
After updating his phone number, the bank officer directed him to follow certain procedures.
The labourer only realised that RM2,000 had been transferred out from his savings account later and lodged a police report.
District police chief ACP Stanley Jonathan Ringgit said the police are investigating the two cases under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property.