Petrol station manager loses close to S$30K after Tinder match lured him into online job scam

MALAYSIA: A petrol station manager was scammed out of more than RM90,000 (S$27,350) after being lured into what he believed was a part-time job opportunity introduced by a woman he met online.

The 38-year-old Malaysian man reportedly got to know a woman through the dating app Tinder. After gaining his trust, she persuaded him to join an online part-time job scheme, and the victim ended up making nine money transfers into six different bank accounts, amounting to RM91,167 (S$27,699).

Once the transfers were completed, he discovered that his accounts had been frozen. At the same time, he lost contact with the woman who had introduced him to the scheme, which led him to realise he had been scammed.

He lodged a police report following the incident.

The Johor Bahru South District Police Chief said on Monday (Aug 25) that police are verifying the bank accounts involved, recording statements from bank employees, and attempting to trace the account holders.

He also revealed that four of the six bank accounts used in the scam have previously been linked to other fraud cases.

Authorities have urged the public to remain vigilant against online job scams, which continue to rise in frequency across the country. Investigations are ongoing.