By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, July 17: A man representing a local ship repair company in Miri has fallen victim to a fraudulent tender scam, losing RM117,000 after being tricked into supplying batteries for a shipping company that never placed any orders.
Miri District Police chief ACP Mohd Farhan Lee Abdullah confirmed that the Miri Commercial Crime Investigation Division (BSJKD) received a police report on July 16, 2025 regarding the scam, which involved a man in his 30s representing the affected company.
“The victim had received a phone call from an individual who introduced himself as ‘Balan’ using the number 019-2768381, offering a tender to supply batteries for use on ships operated by a company based in Johor.
“Convinced by the offer, the victim proceeded to make four separate bank transfers amounting to RM117,000 into the same account as instructed by the suspect, supposedly for the purchase of the batteries,” he disclosed in a statement today.
However, Mohd Farhan said the victim only realised it was a scam after contacting the said shipping company and learning that they had never placed any orders or engaged with his company.
Police have classified the case under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating, which carries a punishment of imprisonment from one to ten years, whipping, and a fine.
Anyone with information on this case can contact the investigating officer Tasman Hukman at 014-8618690.
Mohd Farhan advised the public to remain cautious and not to easily fall prey to suspicious tender offers, especially those coming from unknown individuals.
“Always verify the authenticity of any tender offers before making any form of payment,” he urged. — DayakDaily
