Police on Monday arrested a woman in Phnom Penh who allegedly set up a fake Facebook account under the assumed identity of another woman in order to defraud her out of thousands of dollars.
National Military Police spokesman Eng Hy said the victim had sent Yim Chakrya, 22, more than $3,000 in three separate payments over the course of three months via the mobile payment service Wing.
He said Ms. Chakrya had pretended to be the victim’s sister, who lives in the U.S., by using details from the victim’s own Facebook page, and claimed she needed the money to pay off some debts.
Brigadier General Hy said the victim grew suspicious of the imposter only after speaking with her real sister by telephone a few weeks ago, soon after sending the last payment of about $1,500.
“We received the complaint on Sunday and arrested the suspect on Monday where she lives in Sen Sok [district]. The suspect cheated the victim by using a fake Facebook account and writing everything like the victim’s relative,” he said, adding that Ms. Chakrya had confessed to the crime.
