KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 12 — Five Nigerians suspected of being involved in ‘Love Scam’ and e-commerce (online purchases) fraud were arrested in a raid at Taman Putra Perdana, in Puchong, on Tuesday.
Bukit Aman Commercial Crime Investigation Department director Datuk Zainuddin Yaacob said the five Nigerians, comprising four men and a woman, were detained at two premises at the Ruvena Villa Apartments in the raid between 9 and 11am.
He said that based on the investigation, the syndicate members are believed to have entered Malaysia using a student pass from a private institution and the activity was carried out with housemates and assisted by friends abroad by targeting locals and Thais as victims.
“This syndicate was also actively looking for girlfriends from various countries who are willing to provide a ‘mule account’ to be used for the purpose of cheating victims,” he said in a statement yesterday.
Zainuddin believed that at least two cases involving ‘love scam’ and e-commerce fraud had been solved with the arrest of all the suspects, aged between 30 and 35.
He said police also seized four laptops, 15 mobile phones, two modems with routers, one passport and an automated teller machine (ATM) card.
He said they are being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code as well as Section 6 (1) (C) and Section 15 (1) (C) of the Immigration Act 1959/1963.
In a separate development, Zainuddin said that last year, a total of 6,337 e-commerce fraud cases involving losses worth RM43.5 million were recorded while 1,697 ‘love scam’ cases were reported, with losses amounting to RM64.33 million.
— Bernama
