Well-meaning businessman made RM72,000 poorer by FB ‘friend’

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SIBU: A businessman here lost over RM72,000 after agreeing to help an ‘American’ he had befriended on Facebook.

District police chief ACP Stanley Jonathan Ringgit said the con began when the victim was contacted by his Facebook acquaintance named ‘James Hanson’, whom he had befriended on the social media platform in early September this year.

“On Oct 30, the suspect sent a message to the victim, asking for help to exchange USD$110,000 into local currency, purportedly for the suspect’s son who is studying at a local university.

“The suspect told the victim that he had tried to transfer the money to his son but was unable to due to the many procedures involved,” he said yesterday.

Stanley added that out of sympathy, the businessman agreed to help and was told by ‘James’ that he would be sending the money in cash via courier service. The OCPD said on Oct 31, the businessman received a call from one ‘Celine Chong’ who claimed to be from a courier company, and was told that a package had arrived for him.

“The victim was told that he needed to deposit payment to two bank accounts under the names ‘Ismail Salim’ and ‘Loo Lay Swee’ in order to release the package.

“He deposited a total of RM72,700 in six transactions, and only realised later that he had been scammed after ‘Celine’ asked him to make extra payment.”

The case is being classified under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property.