23-07-2025
Saleswoman loses RM167k in 'Bank of America' VIP scam
JOHOR BARU: A 63-year-old gold shop saleswoman was conned out of RM167,207 in a fake "VIP membership" scam allegedly linked to Bank of America, complete with promises of charity perks and private jet rides.
Johor Baru South police chief, Assistant Commissioner Raub Selamat, said the woman befriended a man through Facebook while working in Singapore on March 23, and later continued chatting via WhatsApp.
The suspect allegedly convinced the victim to make frequent donations to a fictitious orphanage club under the name of Bank of America, with the bait of gaining VIP status and access to exclusive corporate rewards, including private jet travel.
Between March 23 and July 21, while in Johor Baru, the woman made 19 transactions totalling over RM167,000 to five different bank accounts.
The accounts were held under various names.
"The victim began to suspect she was being duped after repeated payments failed to secure her promised VIP status and the suspect continued demanding more funds," Raub said in a statement today.
Checks via the Commercial Crime Investigation System (CCIS) revealed no prior scam records tied to the bank accounts, but police are investigating under fraud-related provisions.
He urged the public to be cautious when approached with dubious online offers, especially those involving personal financial transactions.
Information on scams can be channelled to the National Scam Response Centre at 997 or verified via the police's Semak Mule portal at
