WhatsApp scam: Miri man loses RM97,000 after fraudsters use his profile to dupe wife

A man here reported a loss of RM97,000 after fraudsters allegedly used his identity and profile picture on WhatsApp to deceive his wife into transferring funds into third-party accounts. — AFP pic

First Published: Sunday, 18 Oct 2026 1:38 PM MYT

MIRI, Oct 18 — A man here reported a loss of RM97,000 after fraudsters allegedly used his identity and profile picture on WhatsApp to deceive his wife into transferring funds into third-party accounts.

Miri police chief ACP Mohd Farhan Lee Abdullah said according to a report filed yesterday, the victim’s wife received a WhatsApp message on Oct 16 from an unknown number displaying her husband’s profile.

“The wife assumed the message was sent by her husband, in which she was asked to make money payments.

“She then made two online money transfers using a company account, amounting to RM48,000 and RM49,000 respectively, into two different bank accounts,” he said in a statement.

The scam came to light after the wife inquired about the payments with her husband, who denied requesting any financial transfers.

“Subsequent checks revealed that the phone number did not belong to him and the WhatsApp chat history had completely disappeared,” said Mohd Farhan.

He said the victim promptly contacted the bank to request action on the recipient accounts before lodging a report at the Miri Central police station.

The case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating.

Mohd Farhan advised the public to remain vigilant against scam tactics involving impersonation through familiar profile photos.

“The public is urged to avoid making payments to third-party accounts without direct verification, and to retain transaction records,” he said.

He said suspicious phone or bank account numbers can be checked via the Check Scammers CCID portal at http://semakmule.rmp.gov.my before executing financial transactions. — The Borneo Post