BAHAU: A 37-year-old broker has lost more than RM37,000 in a love scam here.

       Jempol district police chief Supt Hoo Chang Hook said the woman from Felda Raja Alias came to know an individual who introduced himself as Ali Rahman through social media in February this year.

       "Soon after, they started chatting via WhatsApp where they shared personal and work experiences.

       "On April 14, the individual told the victim that he had received his last payment for work done for a company in Turkey totalling US$850,000.

       "He also told her that she was the beneficiary and that she will be able to claim the money from a United Kingdom-based company," he said in a statement Tuesday (Sept 14).

       Supt Hoo said “agents” from the company then contacted the victim and said she would have to make some payments for the money to be released to her.

       These included payments for insurance and stamp duty.

       "The victim bought the story and transferred the money into five local bank accounts but was told to keep making more payments.

       "She eventually realised that she may have been duped and lodged a report on Sept 13," he said.

       Supt Hoo said preliminary checks showed that the bank accounts had been used in other similar scams since May 10.

       In a separate case, Supt Hoo said a 56-year-old man lost RM20,000 to a scammer claiming to be an officer from the Inland Revenue Board on Sept 10.

       "The victim, who works as a backhoe driver, received a call from the suspect and was told that he had tax arrears totalling RM176,000.

       "When he denied this, the call was transferred to another individual claiming to be a policeman who after checking the victim's identity card number, accused him of being involved in drug-related and money laundering activities as well," he said.

       Supt Hoo said the victim panicked upon hearing this and asked how this could be resolved.

       The victim was then asked to reveal his online banking details so that the authorities could investigate the matter and to allow his savings to be temporarily transferred to another account for safekeeping.

       "He did as told and was engaged in a conversation with the caller for 45 minutes.

       "After the call ended, the victim contacted the bank call centre to check on his savings

       and was told that RM20,000 was transferred to another account," he said

       He then realised that he had been scammed and lodged a police report.

       Supt Hoo said both cases were being investigated under section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating.

       Offenders can be jailed between one and 10 years, whipped and fined upon conviction.