By DayakDaily Team
MUKAH, June 26: A 48-year-old businessman lost RM109,750 after falling victim to an online vehicle purchase scam involving a Toyota Alphard advertisement on social media.
Mukah District Police chief DSP Muhamad Rizal Alias said the victim lodged a report at the Mukah District Police Headquarters at about 11.30pm on June 25 after realising he had been deceived.
According to initial investigations, the victim came across an advertisement on April 9, 2026, promoting a 2021 Toyota Alphard priced at RM133,000 under a company name “Savvy Auto” based in Kuala Lumpur.
“The victim then contacted the suspect via WhatsApp and was instructed to submit personal documents for a supposed loan application. The suspect later claimed the loan had been approved and proceeded to request multiple payments from the victim.
“The victim was instructed to make payments for various purposes, including deposit, JPJ processing, SST and LHDN taxes, customs charges, credit scoring, refund processing, ownership transfer documents, and loan cancellation fees.
“The victim made a total of 22 transactions to multiple bank accounts between April 9 and June 25, 2026, amounting to RM109,750,” he said in a statement today.
The scam escalated when the suspect demanded an additional RM7,000, allegedly to complete the loan cancellation process before the vehicle could be delivered.
However, the victim became suspicious when the promised vehicle was never delivered and no refunds were issued, prompting him to lodge a police report.
The case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating.
Muhamad Rizal reminded the public to exercise caution when purchasing vehicles online, especially from social media advertisements offering unusually low prices.
He advised buyers to verify sellers, inspect vehicles in person, and avoid making payments to unverified accounts.
Members of the public are also encouraged to use the Semak Mule portal to check suspicious phone numbers and bank accounts before proceeding with any transactions. — DayakDaily
