Thursday, Sep 06, 2012
KUALA LUMPUR - A marketing manager, who was blinded by love, lost RM1.6 million (S$65,504) after a brief courtship with a man she met via a social networking site.
The woman, believed to be another victim of the African Black Money scam, paid the amount through 29 transactions into several bank accounts belonging to different individuals over a period of four months beginning April.
The 43-year-old victim, who is a single parent, was duped into believing that she was paying the money to get her hands on a parcel containing millions of dollars, which was allegedly sent to her by her rich American boyfriend as a token of his love for her.
It was learnt that the first transaction was made on April 10 when the woman paid RM110,000 (S$45,034) for the release of the parcel from the Customs Department.
The victim was then told that the parcel had been handed to the United States Embassy for safekeeping.
She later received a call, purportedly from the US Embassy and was told that she had to pay more to get the parcel.
The woman met the alleged embassy personnel at a five-star hotel in the city where she was shown the money due to her.
She said the money, which was coated in a white powdery substance, was later "cleansed" using a special liquid.
The woman then borrowed the rest of the money from friends and loan sharks, and when she finally got her hands on the parcel, she found that it contained fake US banknotes and stacks of white paper.
The woman lodged a police report and within weeks, police nabbed four Nigerian men in three units of a luxury condominium block in Brickfields.
Kuala Lumpur Commercial Crime Investigation department chief Assistant Commissioner Izany Abdul Ghani said police also found a silver briefcase containing stacks of fake US banknotes along with bottles of chemicals believed to be used in the scam.
They also seized five laptops, 14 handphones, another bag containing fake US banknotes, a camera, as well as a modem from the three rented condominium units.
Initial checks revealed that the suspects could be linked to nine other similar cases.
"The suspects came into the country two years ago on student passes and claimed they were studying at a private college.
"Police are checking these claims," said Izany.
KUALA LUMPUR - A marketing manager, who was blinded by love, lost RM1.6 million (S$65,504) after a brief courtship with a man she met via a social networking site.
The woman, believed to be another victim of the African Black Money scam, paid the amount through 29 transactions into several bank accounts belonging to different individuals over a period of four months beginning April.
The 43-year-old victim, who is a single parent, was duped into believing that she was paying the money to get her hands on a parcel containing millions of dollars, which was allegedly sent to her by her rich American boyfriend as a token of his love for her.
It was learnt that the first transaction was made on April 10 when the woman paid RM110,000 (S$45,034) for the release of the parcel from the Customs Department.
The victim was then told that the parcel had been handed to the United States Embassy for safekeeping.
She later received a call, purportedly from the US Embassy and was told that she had to pay more to get the parcel.
The woman met the alleged embassy personnel at a five-star hotel in the city where she was shown the money due to her.
She said the money, which was coated in a white powdery substance, was later "cleansed" using a special liquid.
The woman then borrowed the rest of the money from friends and loan sharks, and when she finally got her hands on the parcel, she found that it contained fake US banknotes and stacks of white paper.
The woman lodged a police report and within weeks, police nabbed four Nigerian men in three units of a luxury condominium block in Brickfields.
Kuala Lumpur Commercial Crime Investigation department chief Assistant Commissioner Izany Abdul Ghani said police also found a silver briefcase containing stacks of fake US banknotes along with bottles of chemicals believed to be used in the scam.
They also seized five laptops, 14 handphones, another bag containing fake US banknotes, a camera, as well as a modem from the three rented condominium units.
Initial checks revealed that the suspects could be linked to nine other similar cases.
"The suspects came into the country two years ago on student passes and claimed they were studying at a private college.
"Police are checking these claims," said Izany.
