BATU PAHAT: A 54-year-old man who hoped to meet his soulmate on My Jodoh, lost RM217,000 to a scammer he met on the online dating application.
The plantation manager, who lodged a police report yesterday, claimed he was duped by a woman he befriended online via a dating app called 'My Jodoh' on June 4.
From there, their online communication shifted to WhatsApp.
She then suggested he invested in a lucrative investment scheme in digital currency for their future together.
She directed him to a "member.101quantum.com" website, and asked the love-stricken manager to register his details on the site.
He was promised a 20 per cent return on a minimum RM500 investment.
He made two bank transfers of RM10,500 on June 8 and 9, and almost immediately saw a profit of RM1,72.82 on his cryptocurrency account.
Encouraged by the lucrative profits, and the 'sweet nothing's whispered by his 'soulmate', he made additional transfers amounting to RM207,000 to three other bank accounts.
When he attempted to withdraw his investments, he was told the account was blocked, and he was asked to pay an additional RM225,000 to lift the restriction, which he refused.
At this point, he realised he was scammed and lodged a police report. The woman blocked his number and was no longer reachable.
Batu Pahat deputy police chief Superintendent Shahrulanuar Mushaddat Abdullah Sani, who confirmed the incident, said the case is investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating.
He urged the public to conduct thorough research and be wary of offers that seem too good to be true.
He also encouraged the public to stay informed of the latest scam techniques, updates and tips to avoid falling victims to scam by following the Batu Pahat police district's social media pages on Facebook at @jsjkpdrm and @cybercrimealertrmp.