By Tedong Rantayy
MIRI, June 10: A man in his 20s working as a manager for a company in Miri fell victim to online impersonation fraud, resulting in a loss of RM74,000.
Miri district police chief ACP Alexson Naga Chabu confirmed that a report was lodged on June 8 regarding this case by the victim.
The victim reported receiving a phone call from an unknown individual who claimed to be from the Sarawak Rural Water Supply Department (JBALB).
The caller offered a tender for a government car maintenance project, convincing the victim of his legitimacy.
Further complicating the scam, the suspect introduced the victim to another contact who was purportedly a representative of a supplier of mobile power stations.
Believing the offer to be genuine, the victim transferred RM74,000 in four separate transactions to a third-party account provided by the suspect meant for the purchase of nine units of mobile power stations.
The victim became suspicious after being unable to reach the suspect, who had blocked the victim’s phone number.
Realising he had been deceived, the victim promptly reported the incident to the police.
Authorities are currently investigating the case under Section 420 of the Penal Code, which pertains to cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property.
If convicted, the perpetrator could face imprisonment for a term ranging from one to ten years, whipping, and a fine. — DayakDaily
