GEORGE TOWN: A widow ended up RM3.9 million poorer after she fell victim to a love scam recently.

The 63-year-old woman's nightmare started when she befriended a man through Instagram in December last year.

They then communicated via Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), a technology which allows one to make voice calls using a broadband Internet connection instead of a regular (or analogue) phone line.

The man, who claimed to be a Korean and working in an oil rig, had promised to look after the woman until the end of her life. He had sent photos and videos to convince the woman.

The man told the woman that he had secured a project at the oil rig and was in need of money.

State police chief Datuk Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain said, altogether, the woman conducted 184 transactions totalling RM3.9 million into 18 different bank accounts between December last year and this month.

"The money transferred ranged between RM9,000 and RM50,000.

I am sure the suspect realised the bank's threshold and did not want to raise any alarm, hence he asked for small amounts.

"The victim only realised that she may have been cheated after a search on the internet yielded almost similar photos sent by the suspect but with other people's face on them," he told newsmen at the state police contingent headquarters here this morning.

Mohd Shuhaily said the victim finally picked up the courage to lodge a police report last Thursday.

He added that the money was left to her by her late businessman husband.

All the accounts used were from local banks.

Police are still trying to track the suspect and believe that such modus operandi usually involved Nigerians.

"We want to advice people to be careful while using social media so as not to be conned by such syndicate," he added.

The case is probed under Section 429 of the Penal Code for cheating.

State police chief Datuk Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain showing the photographs used by the suspect to dupe victims. -- NSTP/MIKAIL ONG
State police chief Datuk Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain showing the photographs used by the suspect to dupe victims. -- NSTP/MIKAIL ONG