By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, July 19: A 27-year-old Miri woman lost more than RM622,000 after falling victim to a scam syndicate that promised to help recover money she had previously lost in an online jewellery fraud.
In a recent statement, Miri police chief ACP Mohd Farhan Lee Abdullah said the woman lodged a report on Saturday (July 18) after allegedly being deceived by an individual posing as a lawyer from Hong Kong who claimed to be able to recover her earlier losses.
He said the victim was initially contacted through social media and was offered assistance in recovering money she had lost in an online jewellery scam.
“The victim proceeded to make 12 cryptocurrency payments totalling RM622,792.65 between June 23 and July 18, believing the transactions were necessary to recover her money.
“She only realised she had been scammed after she was unable to contact the suspect, whose phone number had been blocked,” he said.
The case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating which carries a jail term of between one and 10 years, whipping and a fine upon conviction.
Meanwhile, Mohd Farhan advised the public to remain vigilant against syndicates impersonating lawyers and offering to recover money lost in previous scams.
He urged members of the public not to make payments purportedly for legal fees, taxes or processing charges without first verifying the legitimacy of the individual or law firm involved.
Members of the public who fall victim to cyber scams are urged to contact the National Scam Response Centre (NSRC) immediately by calling 997 to facilitate swift action. — DayakDaily
