Woman loses RM250k in online love scams
THE STAR
JOHOR BARU: Lily (not her real name) has found out the hard way the price of online love – she is now RM250,000 poorer and in debt after being scammed, not once, but several times.
The 55-year-old divorcee struck up a Facebook friendship seven years ago with a man named Mark, who claimed to be a Briton from Manchester.
Mark was supposedly a widower with a 12-year-old daughter.
They chatted online for about six months before Mark told her that he wanted to come to Malaysia in March 2009 to see her.
“Within three months of online chatting, I knew I was already falling for him as he was a gentleman who showed kindness, care and love.
“He was also a loving father. I have four children of my own so I understand the difficulties of being a single parent.
“I was so excited when he told me that he was coming to Malaysia for the first time to see me,” she recounted in an interview.
On the day of his supposed arrival, Lily received a call from a purported Customs Department officer who told her that Mark was held up at the airport as he failed to declare over £11,000.
“After depositing RM30,000 into someone’s savings account to settle the matter as the officer had instructed, he allowed me to talk to Mark, who promised to repay me as soon as he was released. But the amount was later increased to RM50,000,” she said, adding that she paid the full amount.
Lily was left heartbroken after Mark claimed that he was told to immediately return to Manchester. He could not be reached after that.
“Several months later, another Caucasian single father named James sent me a friend request on Facebook. After several chat sessions, I knew in my heart that the guy was Mark. “James” kept denying that he was Mark, Lily said.
“Not long after, he told me he would be sending gifts from the United Kingdom as a sign of appreciation for our friendship,” she said, adding that “James” sent her photographs of the supposed presents which consisted of branded handbags, a laptop, and an iPhone, among others.
“Less than a week later, I got a call from a man, claiming to be from a courier company, saying that the goods worth RM15,000 could not be released due to unpaid duties. The package also consisted of cash, apparently.
“He told me to deposit RM7,500 to release the package,” she said, adding that a “Customs officer” also rang her about the same matter.
Lily paid for it but James abruptly disappeared from Facebook. That was in 2011.
Since Mark and James, Lily has been scammed several times more with the latest cheat appearing last year.
She said she kept falling for the con as she believed the scammers were the first guy Mark, whom she has never met but apparently dearly loves.
“I know deep in my heart that all these different men who approached me are actually Mark. And I love him dearly,” she said.
These days, Lily who earns RM3,000 monthly working as a clerk in a clinic, is struggling to settle the debts which she incurred paying the scammers.
It was reported last week that “love” scammers conned Malaysian women of RM71mil last year.
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