Bintulu woman loses RM140,000 in online love scam to ‘doctor in Cuba’

Scam alert. — DayakDaily.com file pic // Photo: Pixabay

By DayakDaily Team

KUCHING, Sept 4: A woman in her late 50s, working as a salesperson in Bintulu, lost RM140,000 after being deceived in an online love scam by someone who claimed to be a doctor in Cuba.

Sarawak Commissioner of Police Dato Mancha Ata stated that the incident unfolded when the woman got connected with the suspect, who went by the name “Genghis Guo”, while browsing social media.

“The victim contacted the suspect via Facebook Messenger, where he promised to meet here after returning to Melbourne, Australia.

“In mid-August, the suspect informed the woman that he had quit his job as a doctor and requested her assistance in paying a penalty for breaching his employment contract in Cuba. By the end of August, he again asked for help to cover the penalty, assuring her he would reimburse the money upon his arrival in Australia,” Mancha revealed in a statement today.

The scam escalated when the victim received an email from someone named “Tyler Clark”, who claimed to be a consultant for the suspect’s employer.

He informed her that the suspect had been involved in an accident and was in critical condition. He also mentioned that the suspect had left his job to meet her and would be arrested by the police if he failed to pay for his treatment.

Deceived by the elaborate ruse, the woman began transferring money online from mid- to late August, totalling around RM140,000.

She only realised she had been scammed when she was asked to make additional payments and had yet to receive any reimbursement. A police report has since been filed. — DayakDaily