SIBU (THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) - A businessman lost RM266,153 (S$89,000) in a scam when he tried to purchase 20,000 face masks on the Internet.

Sibu police said on Thursday (Feb 20) that at around 7pm on Wednesday, the 36-year old victim received a call from a friend in Singapore asking him to find face masks as the Republic had run out of stock due to the Covid-19 outbreak.

"The victim then wrote on his Facebook account that he was looking for the items. Soon after, a person who identified himself as Heston Seah responded," Sibu police chief Stanley Jonathan Ringgit said.

The victim was told by Seah that he was selling the masks at S$14 per box.

Attracted by the offer, he placed an order for 20,000 boxes.

"After making the payment, the victim told his Singaporean friend that the face masks would be sent to his home address," the police chief said on Thursday.

However, after payment was made, his Singaporean friend did not receive the items and Seah had disappeared.

The case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating.