SIBU, March 19: The Sibu District Police Chief ACP Zulkipli Suhaili reported two cases of online scams where two individuals collectively lost RM42,526 to fraudulent schemes.
In the first case, which occurred on March 14, a 50-year-old manager of a private company responded to a Facebook advertisement offering money loans.
The victim contacted a representative of the loan company, IJM Financial, via WhatsApp to apply for a loan of RM35,000. Following instructions, the victim made five money transfers totaling RM26,240 into two local bank accounts as processing fees.
However, after completing the transactions, the victim realised that the loan money had not been credited to their account. Feeling suspicious, the victim made a police report.
In another incident on March 17, a 40-year-old female customer service officer responded to a part-time work advertisement on a website.
A suspect, who identified herself as Olivia, offered the victim participation in an online investment scheme promising returns of 30 per cent to 50 per cent for each investment based on given assignments.
The victim made five transfers totaling RM16,286 into three local bank accounts as instructed by the suspect.
However, when the suspect demanded an additional RM40,000 deposit, the victim grew suspicious and realized she had been scammed.
Investigation papers have been opened under Section 420 of the Penal Code for both cases.
ACP Zulkipli urged the public to remain vigilant and cautious when dealing with online transactions to avoid falling victim to similar scams. — DayakDaily
