By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, Aug 3: Members of the public have been reminded to be cautious of scammers posing as government officials after a businesswoman narrowly avoided becoming a scam victim involving individuals impersonating officials from the Sarawak Public Works Department (JKR).
According to Michael Kong, who is the special assistant to Sarawak DAP chairman Chong Chieng Jen, he was recently approached by a businesswoman who grew suspicious after being contacted by an unknown individual who went by the name ‘Dorisi’, claiming to be from Sarawak JKR who required certain items for an upcoming staff function.
“To make the scam appear legitimate, Dorisi produced fake tender notices and documents supposedly signed by the director of Sarawak JKR.
“After convincing the businesswoman of the authenticity of these documents, Dorisi requested the businesswoman to submit her company details, including sensitive information such as bank account numbers.
“Shortly thereafter, the scammer issued a Letter of Acceptance of Offer and Purchase Orders to the businesswoman, further creating the impression of a real contract,” said Kong in a statement.
However, when Dorisi instructed the businesswoman to procure one of the listed items from a so-called ‘previous vendor’ of theirs, the businesswoman sensed something was wrong and sought assistance from Kong.
Upon investigation, it was confirmed that there was no such tender from Sarawak JKR, and a police report was lodged.
“This case should serve as a serious reminder and warning to all members of the public, especially business owners, not to rely solely on telephone calls, emails or online documents when dealing with business transactions. Always verify the legitimacy of tenders, purchase orders, or contracts by personally visiting the relevant offices directly.
“Also, one must be cautious when asked to provide sensitive personal or company information, as such data can be misused for future scams or identity theft.
“While this businesswoman was fortunate to have avoided financial losses, her personal and business information is now in the hands of scammers, which could lead to further risks in the future. This is why we must all remain vigilant, sceptical, and proactive in verifying the authenticity of any business dealings,” he said. — DayakDaily
