Police in Miri, Malaysia, say a scammer allegedly copied a man's WhatsApp identity, including his profile photo, and persuaded the man's wife to transfer RM97,000 (over $23,000) into third-party bank accounts.
Here's what to know
According to Malay Mail, citing The Borneo Post, Miri police chief ACP Mohd Farhan Lee Abdullah said the alleged scam started on Oct. 16, when the wife received a WhatsApp message from an unknown number that displayed her husband's profile photo. She believed the request was really coming from him.
Mohd Farhan said in a statement, "The wife assumed the message was sent by her husband, in which she was asked to make money payments."
He added that she then completed two online transfers, sending RM48,000 to one bank account and RM49,000 to another.
After she asked her husband about the transfers, she found out he had never asked for the money.
Authorities are investigating the matter under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating.
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More background
Mohd Farhan said the money was sent from a company account rather than a personal one.
After the husband said he had not asked for any payment, Mohd Farhan said, "Subsequent checks revealed that the phone number did not belong to him and the WhatsApp chat history had completely disappeared."
Before filing a report at the Miri Central police station, the victim contacted the bank and asked it to take action on the recipient accounts.
What can be done?
Mohd Farhan said people should be careful with payment requests sent through messaging apps, especially when they come from an unfamiliar number, even if the profile photo looks familiar. In this case, the alleged impersonation succeeded because the account appeared personal.
He urged the public to directly verify any request before sending money to third-party accounts.
Mohd Farhan also advised people to keep transaction records. In a case like this one, involving two transfers totaling RM97,000 from a company account, those records can become important after the bank is contacted and a police report is made.
He further said that people can check suspicious phone numbers or bank accounts through the Check Scammers CCID portal at http://semakmule.rmp.gov.my before making a transfer. The victim in this case contacted the bank promptly, a step that can matter when trying to stop or trace the funds.
Mohd Farhan said, "The public is urged to avoid making payments to third-party accounts without direct verification, and to retain transaction records."
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