By Shikin Louis
KUCHING, April 11: A 39-year-old mother from Kota Samarahan is seeking justice after falling victim to an alleged online scam that saw her bank account misused without her knowledge—leaving her unable to access government aid and now facing a police investigation.
Madam Bong, who has a three-year-old child with special needs, shared her harrowing experience during a press conference with Sarawak United Peoples’ Party (SUPP) Public Complaints Bureau (PCB) chief Milton Foo at the latter’s office today.
She described how her bank account—crucial for her small online clothing business and daily expenses—was frozen without warning last August, after being unknowingly used in a series of suspicious transactions.
“It started when I tried using my ATM card at a petrol station in August last year. It just wouldn’t work.
“The next day, I went to another petrol station, but the card still didn’t work. I knew something was wrong,” she said.
After contacting her bank, she was informed that her debit card had been blocked.
She then lodged a police report on August 18, 2024, at IPD Kota Samarahan, and continued following up—but was consistently told to “wait.”
Bank records show that five major transactions totalling over RM15,000 were made through her account on August 12 and 13, 2024.
Another RM5,000 was transferred in on August 27, but by then, the account had already been frozen, and the funds remained untouched.
“The RM5,000 that came in last was not mine. But even the government assistance money I received through the bank account—I couldn’t withdraw it,” she pointed out.
Madam Bong stressed that she never lent her ATM card or account to anyone, including relatives or friends.
She explained that she only uses online banking to check balances and confirm if customers have transferred payments—never for outgoing transfers.
Foo, believes her account was unknowingly used as a mule account—a bank account exploited by scammers to receive illicit funds.
On April 9, Madam Bong was summoned to the police station. There, her fingerprints were taken, and she was photographed and asked to sign in monthly—procedures usually reserved for suspects in criminal investigations.
The police are currently investigating the case under Section 4(1) of the Computer Crimes Act 1997, a charge that carries penalties of up to RM150,000 or 10 years’ imprisonment—or both.
Foo said it was unacceptable that Madam Bong was placed under such scrutiny despite taking all the right steps: lodging a police report, informing her bank, and cooperating with authorities.
He added that what happened to Madam Bong could happen to anyone, as it raises serious questions about how a citizen’s bank account can be misused so easily without any notification or protection—especially in cases where the account holder never shared their ATM card or online banking access with a third party.
He also raised concerns about the lack of timely alerts from banks regarding large or suspicious transactions and called for urgent legal reforms to protect the public from falling victim to such scams. — DayakDaily
