It is a well-known scam, only this time the victim was smart enough not to take the bait of a Nigerian man trying to sell him “black money” while impersonating as a United Nations officer.
Wangsa Maju OCPD Supt Mohamad Roy Suhaimi Sarif said the 35-year-old South Korean man arrived in Malaysia on July 16 on a special assignment from his boss.
He was instructed by his superior to meet a “United Nations Director of Operations” who was selling a special liquid for “washing” black-coloured notes said to total US$300mil.
Little did his boss know that the designation was just a ruse by a 46-year-old Nigerian man to gain his trust before luring him into investing thousands of dollars into the “black money” scam.
The Korean arrived with two of his friends to broker a deal with the so-called UN officer in two meetings held between July 17 and 22.
Supt Roy said the Korean trio met the Nigerian at a hotel in Jalan Ampang at about 10.30am on July 22 to finalise the deal.
“They paid him US$12,000 for the liquid. At 4pm the same day, the Nigerian went back to the hotel with a luggage filled with black ‘dollar notes’.
“The Nigerian claimed that the buyers could easily obtain US$100mil by washing the black money with the liquid.
“However, the Korean was not convinced. He told his friends to contact the police,” he told reporters at a press conference here Monday.
Supt Roy said police arrived at the hotel and arrested the Nigerian, who then led them to his apartment unit in Bukit Antarabangsa, Ulu Klang.
The suspect has permanent resident status and is married to a local woman with whom he has two children.
“He lived alone in the apartment while his family stayed in Subang.
He has been in Malaysia for 11 years after entering the country as a student.
“He has been involved in the black money scam for the past four years.
“He and his Korean victim had first started corresponding through e-mail and social media,” Supt Roy said.
Supt Roy said that though the man had operated alone, police did not rule out the possibility of him being part of a syndicate.
Police recovered the US$12,000 paid by the Korean and seized a black luggage bag filled with black notes, several mobile phones, a MyPR card and a card with falsified UN credentials.
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