KUCHING: An elderly woman who thought she had found companionship online was instead tricked by a syndicate, losing RM1.2 million in a planned love scam that preyed on her trust.
The 64-year-old had first connected with the scammer, who introduced himself as Zhao Yong, via WhatsApp in December 2024. The suspect had used the phone number +852 57473477 during their conversations.
As their “relationship” developed, the victim was contacted by an individual claiming to be a lawyer named Hai Na Bai Chuan, who said he was representing Zhao Yong to manage the delivery of a cash gift supposedly meant for her.
She was later introduced to another individual who claimed to be a bank manager named Kamarul Ranizu, allegedly tasked with handling the money transfer process.
Acting Kuching police chief Supt Merbin Lisa said convinced by the scammers’ sweet words, the woman began borrowing money from family members, sold her car, and took loans from licensed moneylenders to make the necessary payments.
“Between December 2024 and July 2025, she made 25 transactions into 18 different bank accounts, under the impression that the payments were required for taxes and other administrative fees.
“She eventually realised she had been duped, suffering total losses of RM1,213,742,” he said.
The woman reported the incident to the police on Jul 26 and the case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating and dishonestly inducing the delivery of property.
Upon conviction, the offence is punishable with up to 10 years in prison, whipping, and a fine.
Merbin added that this case was among eight similar cases investigated by the Kuching Commercial Crime Investigation Division (CCID) between Jan 1 and Jul 31 this year, involving combined losses of RM1,326,050.
In light of this, he advised the public to exercise extreme caution when interacting with strangers online, particularly on social media and messaging platforms.
“Online scams are a form of commercial crime that can be prevented if people are better informed and remain alert.
“Public awareness plays a crucial role in building a community that is safe from scammers,” he said.
