SIBU: A single mother in Bintulu has been cheated of almost half a million ringgit in an investment scam.
Sarawak Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID) chief Supt Maria Rasid said in a statement on Friday (Aug 6) that the woman became acquainted online in February with a man who identified himself as “Li Wei”.
“The suspect invited the woman to invest in an oil and gas project in Sicily, which offered lucrative returns,” she said.
The woman made 30 bank transfers from March to May totalling RM494,000 to five different bank accounts provided by the suspect, she added.
Supt Maria said when the woman asked the suspect about the returns, he gave her a number of excuses and claimed the project had encountered financial problems.
“The suspect even asked the woman to make more payments. It was then that she realised she had been conned, and lodged a police report,” she said.
Supt Maria advised the public not to be easily taken in by beautiful or handsome profile photos on social media.
“Social media users are also advised not to give status updates that indicate they are lonely, looking for a partner, or desperate to have someone, as this will attract cybercriminals,” she said.
They are also advised not to be taken in by praise from social media acquaintances, or be persuaded to invest in lucrative projects or receive expensive gifts.
Supt Maria advised the public to contact the CCID Scam Response at 03-2610 1559 and 03-2610 1599, or the CCID info line via WhatsApp or SMS at 013-211 1222, for advice or to provide information of online crime.
