ALOR SETAR – A retiree lost RM220,500 in a love scam after getting to know a ‘doctor’ through social media last year.

Kedah Commercial Crime Investigation Department chief Supt Elias Omar said the 60-year-old woman from Pendang claimed that she befriended a man who introduced himself as “Amran Mohammad Ali” through Facebook in November last year.

“The victim, whose husband died in 2008, continued communicating with the suspect who claimed that he was a doctor in Syria, via the WhatsApp application.

“The suspect had asked the victim to transfer a sum of money as he was always facing difficulties,” he said in a statement today.

Elias said the woman deposited the money into seven separate accounts in 51 transactions, via automatic teller machine between December, 2021 and May this year.

The victim then realised that she had been cheated and lodged a police report yesterday at the Pendang district police headquarters he said, adding that the case was being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code.

He also advised the public to check bank accounts or suspicious telephone numbers through the website http://ccid.rmp.gov.my/semakmule/. – Bernama / graphic by MZUKRI