Lured through social media: Woman’s nightmare with online "mentor"

SHAH ALAM - A young woman endured a harrowing chapter in her life after falling for the deceptive promises of a man she met through a social media application.

Sharing her story with Sinar, Liya (not her real name) said she never imagined that her acquaintance with a man named Arman would lead to trauma.

Recalling the incident that took place over five years ago, the final-year student at a private college said the man, who was in his early 40s, claimed to be a businessman.

"He presented himself as a mentor, frequently offering words of encouragement and sharing success stories with me.

"He also advised me to be bold in seizing opportunities if I wanted to succeed in life," she said.

They frequently chatted on social media before Arman invited her to a cafe to discuss job opportunities.

"At first, the meeting went well. Arman appeared professional and convincing. However, after the discussion, he invited me to a nearby apartment to review some business documents.

"Without suspecting anything, I followed him. As soon as we entered the apartment, the situation changed—Arman revealed his true nature," she said.

According to her, Arman suddenly became aggressive and began touching her inappropriately.

"He got close to me and told me not to be afraid, claiming he was longing for affection.

"I tried to resist, but I wasn’t strong enough. He took advantage of me and even recorded the incident, threatening me not to report it to the authorities," she said.

The traumatic experience left Liya distressed and robbed her of self-confidence, causing her to withdraw from family and friends.

"After struggling with the trauma for a long time, I finally decided to seek help.

"I contacted a counselling centre and lodged a police report, only to discover that I wasn’t the only victim—several other women had also fallen prey to Arman’s crimes," she said.

Liya expressed her gratitude that Arman was eventually arrested and would face legal action.

"Stand up for your rights and never trust someone you’ve just met through social media.

"I don’t want anyone else to go through what I did. If you become a victim, don’t stay silent; seek help immediately because you are not alone," she said.

A special report by Sinar on Tuesday revealed how social media and dating apps are being exploited by sexual offenders to target victims, especially children.

Police statistics recorded 633 cases last year involving platforms such as Facebook, Google, Instagram, Leomatch, Omi, Telegram, TikTok, WeChat, WhatsApp, Bumble, Litmatch and Tinder.

Deputy Director of the Sexual, Women and Children Investigations Division, Bukit Aman Criminal Investigation Department, Senior Assistant Commissioner Siti Kamsiah Hassan said a study based on recorded cases found that social media is a common tool used by offenders to seek out and manipulate victims.

She described that perpetrators often use aliases or fake identities and do not select victims randomly.

Instead, they observe their targets, learn about their activities and interests and build familiarity before making their move.