KOTA BHARU: A woman in her 30s lost RM11,700 after falling victim to a love scam to pay for her 'virtual lover's' quarantine and treatment costs in May.

What is more unfortunate is that the victim, who is still single and now unemployed, has made several payments to an account using money from her Employees Provident Fund account.

Kelantan Commercial Crime Investigation Department chief Supt Ahmad Azizul Mohamed said in the report made by the victim on July 28, the woman stated that she had virtually befriended the suspect who allegedly was from Eastern Europe. The suspect had told the victim he would come to Malaysia to get to her know her better.

"On July 22, the victim received a message from the suspect stating that he had arrived in Malaysia but was being detained at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport for quarantine purposes. The next day, the victim was contacted by a woman disguised as a government employee who asked the victim to settle the quarantine costs of her 'virtual contact," he said in a statement, today.

He said the victim had made a payment of RM5,200 to a local bank account belonging to a woman. On July 26, the victim made another payment of RM2,000 to the same bank account as a hospital treatment deposit for the suspect who was said to have tested positive for COVID-19.

"Then, the victim again made another payment of RM4,500 the following day as payment for the hospital treatment bill," he said.

The victim lodged a police report after suspecting that she had been duped when the suspect still contacted her asking for money for various other reasons.

-- BERNAMA