Woman loses nearly RM200,000 to online loan scam

SEREMBAN - A private sector employee here recently fell victim to an online scam involving a fictitious money lending syndicate, resulting in a loss of RM194,560.

Seremban district police chief ACP Arifai Tarawe said the 32-year-old woman reported finding a money lending advertisement on Facebook and following this she communicated with an individual via the WhatsApp application who offered a loan of RM250,000.

"The victim made a deposit payment and processing fees to secure an approval. Between Dec 21 and Jan 2, she transferred funds to various bank accounts provided by the syndicate, totaling RM194,560.

"However, the victim failed to receive the loan amount. Suspicious, she filed a police report on Jan 5, and the case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code," he said in a statement tonight.

Therefore, Arifai advises the public not to be easily deceived by those who offer loans online and to promptly verify with the police to avoid falling victim to scams. - BERNAMA