A woman in her late 60s from Kuching has fallen victim to a devastating romance scam after meeting a self-proclaimed wealthy Chinese “young hunk” on social media. The elaborate con left her defrauded of over RM1 million, some of which she borrowed from illegal moneylenders.
Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) Public Complaints Bureau chief Michael Tiong confirmed the case, calling it one of the most meticulously planned romance scams in recent times. The victim was lured step-by-step into a carefully crafted trap from which she could not escape.
The scam began when the elderly woman met a charming, handsome man online who claimed to be a millionaire. He pursued her with sweet talk and affection, winning her trust and emotions. Once she was emotionally invested, the scammers introduced her to two more characters: a so-called “lawyer” and a “bank manager,” who were, in fact, part of the same syndicate.
Pretending to assist in transferring a large sum of money and unfreezing international accounts, the “lawyer” and “banker” convinced her to make repeated payments for supposed legal and banking fees. Driven by love and manipulated trust, the woman handed over her savings and borrowed money from family and friends to keep up with the payments.
Eventually, when those sources dried up, she turned to loan sharks for funds, further plunging herself into debt. The scammers escalated the con, claiming a huge amount of money was about to be transferred to her, but was flagged for money laundering and required more fees to release. They even fabricated a story that her “lover” had been detained by the authorities, urging her to pay to “bail him out.”
Despite losing everything and owing substantial debt, the woman remained convinced of the man’s love and believed he would eventually repay her and spend the rest of their lives together. Tiong said he had repeatedly tried to persuade her to lodge a police report, but she refused, insisting that her online “lover” was genuine.
He stressed that this was not just a romance scam but a tragic family incident. He urged the public to be vigilant when it comes to online relationships, especially those involving financial transactions.
“With today’s advanced technology, scammers can easily use AI-generated photos and videos, coupled with multiple fake personas, to manipulate victims who crave companionship and affection,” he warned.
“Real love doesn’t come with a price tag. The more beautiful the romance seems, the more cautious you should be,” Tiong advised.
