By NICHOLAS CHENG
nicholascheng@thestar.com.my
17/8/13
KUALA LUMPUR: A syndicate that specialises in online love scams couldn’t charm its way out when police raided an apartment in Bukit Mandarin, Cheras.
Police confiscated 10 bank cards, six passbooks believed to be from previous scams, and 1kg of methamphetamine stashed in one of the suspects’ car.
Four notebook computers and six mobile phones were also recovered during the operation at 10.30am on Thursday.
Three Nigerian men, another from Lesotho and Malaysian women aged 29 to 32 were arrested.
Their modus operandi involves gaining the trust of females online, and then asking them to bank in money to a Malaysian woman’s account in order to pay for the “tax” on a parcel that they claim has been detained by the Malaysian Customs.
The conmen would say the parcel contains lots of cash, and would then promise the girls a share of the cash as a reward.
Investigations into the syndicate began in April after a 21-year-old college student was duped of RM1,630.
She had reportedly befriended a British man named Richard Kickme on Facebook in January and fallen in love with the online Casanova.
“On April 19, one of the suspects contacted the victim, saying he was planning to visit her.
“He called her again the next day, claiming he had arrived but was held up at the airport for bringing in a parcel containing US$48,000 (RM135,000).
“He said he would give her some of the money if she banked in the amount, which she did the same day,” said Cheras OCPD ACP Mohan Singh, adding that she lodged a police report after the man did not show up.
ACP Mohan said commercial crime officers were studying the bank cards and passbooks to help solve other similar cases.
http://www.thestar.com.my/News/Nation/2013/08/17/Online-love-scam-ring-busted-Drugs-also-found-as-police-raid-syndicate-that-preys-on-women.aspx
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