IPOH: A 55-year-old single mother lost about RM21,000 out of compassion for a "friend" she befriended on Facebook.

       The woman, who only wished to be known as Jessie, got to know the man, named Poon Ken, on April 2.

       He had allegedly requested to borrow money from her about three weeks later to pay for his son's medical expenses.

       "He had asked to borrow the money on April 20 after claiming his supposed son was admitted to a hospital in Singapore.

       "The man claimed that his son needed the money for a heart surgery," she said during a press conference held by Perak MCA public services and complaints bureau chief Low Guo Nan here on Friday (10 Dec).

       Jessie said she transferred the money to him on several occasions.

       She said the bank accounts that she wired the money to also had other people's names and not of Poon's.

       "He assured me that he would return the money to me and asked for my personal details to set up a foreign bank account," she said.

       "He said he would transfer S$50,000 to me via the foreign bank account.

       "The last transaction was on May 25, and it was the last time I heard from him," she added.

       Jessie said she was also given a link to the foreign bank account but it was inaccessible.

       "I feel cheated and I am worried that my personal information would be used by irresponsible people," she said.

       Low said he had accompanied Jessie to lodge a police report on Wednesday (Dec 8).

       "Jessie decided to help because she sympathised with the man and didn't know that she had fallen under a scammer's trap.

       "I hope people will be more careful when helping people they meet online," he said.