KUALA LUMPUR: He told her his name was Vick and that he was in logistics, but the only operation he was coordinating turned out to be a confidence game.
In all, the 37-year-old executive, who wanted to be known only as Linda, was cheated of more than RM20,000 after falling for the man, whom she got to know on the mobile messaging application WeChat in April last year.
Linda said they grew close after chatting via the app before Vick, 33, proposed to her that same month.
“I had my doubts and I didn’t believe him at first. I told him my family would need to get to know him first. He promised me a lot of things,” she said during a press conference accompanied by MCA Public Services and Complaints Department head Datuk Seri Michael Chong.
Linda added that about a month later, Vick told her that he wanted to expand his logistics business but needed her help.
She said Vick claimed that his company had three lorries in Ipoh and he was planning to buy three more as part of the expansion.
“He told me that he was already close to his business goals (but) needed my help to succeed,” she added.
Vick then took her to a moneylender to get a RM7,000 loan for him.
“I told him I was scared to borrow from a moneylender but he forced me to,” she said.
A few days later, he asked her to get a loan of RM10,000 from a bank as he needed more money.
“He promised that he would pay the instalments in full,” she said, adding that she also gave him RM4,170 in cash for his expenses.
She said she only realised that she had been duped in November when several cheques he gave her bounced.
Vick then started to avoid her, and she found out in January that he was married when she saw his wedding photographs in his wife’s Facebook page.
Linda said she tried contacting Vick’s wife, who was shocked to learn what he had done.
She then lodged two police reports against him in January.
Chong urged the public to be wary of strangers they meet online or through chat apps.
“We are looking for legal ways to try and recover the money,” Chong said.
He added that the moneylender told him that Vick had brought two other women there to borrow money.
Read more at http://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2017/06/23/woman-cheated-of-rm20000-by-casanova-conman/#WErm3lCwjRBzqPSf.99
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