A businessman from Hong Kong recently visited Malaysia for a business trip and out of loneliness and boredom, he decided to look for an escort service, only to get scammed.
The victim, who identified himself as Jason, found a beautiful escort via a social networking application, and both of them started talking on Telegram. The “escort” asked for his hotel address, followed by her traveling fares which amounted to RM550, and the victim paid via a virtual currency platform.
The scammer told Jason that she would be on her way once she has received the payment.
She then asked Jason to switch to WhatsApp so that they could continue chatting, and he was told that the “escort” would be informing a “male friend” about her itinerary for safety purposes. Jason didn’t see any harm in it and didn’t think much about it, but when the “male friend” called him, here’s when the situation slowly escalated.
Jason was asked to transfer an amount of RM3,800 for the meet up, to which he immediately backed out and canceled the transaction as he sensed something suspicious.
“The ‘male friend’ then said that he’s a member of a triad, and he threatened me by saying that I would not be able to leave Malaysia”, Jason told China Press.
Initially, he did not fear for his safety, but when the “male friend” sent him multiple threatening clips, he started to feel afraid. He immediately asked to change rooms and fortunately, the security measures of the hotel were tightened during his stay.
Jason said,
“Actually, I don’t really need it. I just wanted her to go to the market with me, hold my hand, and have dinner together.”
Fortunately, Jason made it back safely to Hong Kong. He decided to share his unfortunate encounter with others, in the hope to spread more awareness about online scams.
Scammers don’t just prey on your money but when needed, they prey on your safety which may prompt you to give them the money they want out of fear. Online transactions are always risky, and regardless of what you’re buying, always be aware and look out for potential scams.
Also read: Beware of This M’sian Girl Offering Sex Services For RM250
