A Malaysian woman was shocked to discover that a photo of her late cousin had been used on a social media page to solicit donations under false pretences.
Lynn Tan, 40, said her cousin had suffered from cancer before passing away in December last year. But the Facebook page in question allegedly used her cousin’s image to trick the public into donating RM80,000 for “cancer treatment.”
“The page claimed the woman in the photo needed RM80,000 for treatment and appealed for sympathy even though she had already died,” Lynn said.
Posing as a potential donor, Lynn contacted the operators behind the page to ask how much more money was needed. “They told me about RM30,000. I believe they’ve already managed to collect around RM50,000 from this scam,” she said.
According to Lynn, her family is outraged over the misuse of the image, calling it a serious offence. “We are deeply upset that the photo was misused for fraud. We’re speaking out to prevent more people from being duped,” she said.
The family is currently gathering information and evidence before lodging a police report. Lynn also urged the public to be cautious and verify the authenticity of online fundraisers. “People should always check with the proper authorities before donating to avoid falling victim to scams,” she added.
