KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA - Meeting up with a pen-pal two weeks after getting acquainted with her turned out to be a bad experience for a clerk.

On June 25, Wong May Shan met her pen-pal known only as Yo Yo at the Sungei Wang shopping complex here after receiving an SMS from her.

Wong, 20, got to know Yo Yo through a pen-pal column in a magazine.

While they were having a drink at a restaurant, Yo Yo borrowed Wong's cellphone, saying the battery was low on her mobile. Claiming there was no signal at the restaurant, Yo Yo walked out with Wong's cellphone.

Before doing so, Yo Yo left her wallet on the restaurant table and asked Wong to take care of it. After waiting for a while, Wong checked Yo Yo's wallet, only to find it empty except for three name cards.

Two hours after Yo Yo left, Wong received an SMS from her on her second handphone asking for a RM50 top-up. Wong refused and told Yo Yo to return the phone, but to no avail.

On June 28, using Wong's identity, Yo Yo sent out SMSes to Wong's colleagues and a cousin asking for money supposedly to take her mother to hospital. She also asked for a credit top-up when they said they did not have enough money.

Wong became aware that she was being used by Yo Yo to dupe people when her colleagues and her cousin contacted her to find out what was going on.

The clerk has lodged a report at the Tun H.S. Lee police station.

MCA Public Services and Complaints Department head Datuk Michael Chong, in a press conference, advised the public to be careful when getting acquainted with new friends.

--The Star/ANN