Pahang police chief Ramli Mohamed Yoosuf said the man, aged 56, was offered an online part-time job in a scheme through a link sent on WhatsApp in December 2022 after befriending the woman.

He said all meetings and business dealings between the victim and woman were not conducted face-to-face but only through WhatsApp.

“After three months of working part-time, the victim’s online business account was blocked as the customers did not receive the ordered goods,” he said in a statement today.

The victim decided to close the account and take out the profits that had been recorded, amounting to RM700,000.

However, he was told to first pay the processing fee and government tax, including customs management fees to claim the profit.

Ramli said the victim conducted 14 transactions via three different accounts involving RM164,601 using his savings, including from his Employees Provident Fund.

He said the victim’s attempts to contact the woman who introduced him to the online business platform failed. He was informed that she was out of the country to attend to her mother’s medical matters.

The victim then realised that he had been cheated and lodged a report with the Kuantan district police headquarters yesterday.