Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago

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A match on a dating app is no longer just the start of romance. For hundreds of Malaysians, it has become the gateway to scams and exploitation.

Police say syndicates now use dating platforms to build trust before steering victims to fake investments, bogus trading sites and cryptocurrency scams.

Victims also face blackmail, sextortion and threats once relationships move to WhatsApp or Telegram.

In the past four years, 462 Malaysians, mostly aged 21 to 40, lost RM32.7 million. Last year alone, losses hit RM14.4 million, triple the previous year.

Fake investment schemes caused the highest losses, at RM16.38 million from 145 cases.

Federal Commercial Crime Investigation Department director Datuk Rusdi Mohd Isa said syndicates spend weeks cultivating trust, targeting singles, divorcees and widows before introducing fraudulent schemes.

He reminded the public that genuine relationships should never involve money transfers or investment requests.

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