Latest news with #RM2.34mil
The Star
2 days ago
- The Star
RM2.34mil gone when woman makes 71 transfers to ‘lover' she never met
GEORGE TOWN: A woman made 71 bank transfers over 15 months, totalling RM2.34mil after being introduced to a man by her aunt. Penang acting police chief Datuk Mohd Alwi Zainal Abidin said the 53-year-old programming manager at a factory in Bayan Lepas lodged a report on July 8. He said the victim's aunt introduced the victim to a man who claimed to be a Singaporean named Perry Chen, living in Ottawa, Canada. 'The suspect met the victim's aunt during a seminar in Kuala Lumpur. Throughout their acquaintance, the victim and suspect only communicated via WhatsApp. 'In March 2024, the suspect claimed he was involved in an electrical grid installation project with the Oman government and sought her help to transfer money for raw materials, saying Internet access in Oman was unstable,' he said in a statement. Mohd Alwi said on Friday (Aug 8) that the victim then made transfers as instructed, but was told the transactions failed because they involved different countries. The suspect then asked her to pay bank service charges first, promising to reimburse her. 'She made 58 transfers between March 28 and Aug 18, 2024, totalling RM1.94mil, to nine local bank accounts given by the suspect,' he said. Mohd Alwi then added that in September 2024, the suspect told her he had deposited a cheque for US$404,500 into Heritage Asset Bank Oman to repay her. 'She was later contacted by someone claiming to be a Malaysian branch bank officer, who told her she needed to pay bank charges before the cheque could be cleared,' he said. Between Sept 25, 2024, and July 4 this year, she made another 13 transfers, amounting to RM399,407. She realised she had been duped when the suspect's explanations no longer made sense. The case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating. Mohd Alwi advised the public to be wary of scammers using fake relationships for financial gain. He said such scams cause financial losses and emotional trauma and urged people not to share personal or financial details with online acquaintances, especially if they ask for money or gifts. Mohd Alwi also advised using reverse image searches to verify photos. 'Do not keep online relationships a secret; share them with family or friends for advice,' he added. He called on the public to help combat online scams by sharing information on the latest modus operandi.
The Star
03-08-2025
- The Star
HK recorded 75% rise in in-flight thefts
'CLICK TO ENLARGE' PETALING JAYA: In an update by the Hong Kong Security Bureau to a lawmaker last December, Hong Kong recorded 169 in-flight thefts in the first 10 months of 2024, involving valuables worth HK$4.32mil (RM2.34mil) – a 75% rise compared with the same period in 2023. In Singapore, CNA reported in January that four people were charged with in-flight theft between January 2023 and September 2024. Thefts can be attempted even on short flights, with a Chinese national arrested by Singapore authorities for stealing a credit card and more than RM658 in cash during a night flight from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore in March. According to Selangor police, which is in charge of crimes committed on flights landing at KLIA, 267 police reports were lodged over missing items on flights at KLIA since 2022, with 146 of them reported in 2024. However, only 26 investigation papers were opened because some victims were unsure when their items went missing, while others had continued with their journey to their respective destinations.
