Elderly trader duped of RM190,800 after son’s ‘friend’ vanishes

 Police say the man's son had met a person through WhatsApp who offered a currency exchange that would yield a significantly higher profit.

Sibu police said the trader later found that the money he sent had not been deposited into a Hong Kong bank account as promised. (Freepik pic)

SIBU:

 An elderly trader has incurred a loss of RM190,800 after being duped in a non-existent online foreign currency exchange transaction.

District police chief Azari Miskon said the trader, who is in his 60s, reported that his son, who is working in Papua New Guinea, had asked him to make payments into several local bank accounts.

“The payments were supposedly for the exchange of Malaysian ringgit into Hong Kong dollars, after the victim’s son said that he had met a person through WhatsApp who offered a currency exchange that would yield a significant profit higher than the usual exchange rate,” Azari said in a statement today.

Two days ago, the trader agreed to help his son and made a money transfer to the local bank account provided by the man, who called himself “David”. However, after checking with his son, he found that the money had not been deposited into the Hong Kong bank account as promised, Azari said.

The trader later realised he had been deceived because “David” could not be contacted. - FMT