GEORGE TOWN: A factory programme manager lost more than RM2.33mil after falling victim to a love scam.

Penang acting police chief Deputy Comm Datuk Mohd Alwi Zainal Abidin said the 53-year-old victim was introduced to the man by her aunt in February last year.

Her aunt met the man known as Perry Chan, who claimed to be a Singaporean residing in Ottawa, Canada, at a seminar in Kuala Lumpur and intended to matchmake him with the victim.

“The victim only communicated with the suspect via WhatsApp,” he said in a statement yesterday, Bernama reported.

DCP Mohd Alwi said in March 2024, the suspect told the victim he was running an electric grip installation business with the Oman government.

“The suspect sought the victim’s help to transfer funds for the purchase of raw materials for his project, claiming Internet access in Oman was unstable.

“The victim assisted by accessing the man’s account and making transfers as instructed, before receiving a call informing her that the transfers had failed as they involved different countries.

“The man then asked the victim to make advance payments for bank service charges, promising to reimburse her,” he added.

From March 28 to Aug 18 last year, the victim made 58 transactions amounting to RM1.936mil into nine local bank accounts.

In September, the suspect told her that he had deposited a US$404,500 (RM1.72mil) cheque into a Heritage Asset Bank Oman account to repay her.

She was later contacted by a “bank customer service officer” in Malaysia, who said she needed to make payments to cash the cheque.

From Sept 25 last year to July 4 this year, the victim made another 13 transactions totalling RM399,407 into five local bank accounts as payment for cashing the cheque.