SIBU, April 26: A company manager lost RM11,720.70 in a face mask scam after he was cheated by an online seller.
According to Sibu district police chief, ACP Stanley Jonathan Ringgit the 37-year old complainant spotted an advertisement on an online site advertising face masks for sale on March 30.
The complainant contacted the number in the advertisement and informed the suspect that he wanted to buy 158 boxes of face masks. He then made an online transfer for RM11,720.70 for an order of three-ply face masks (100 boxes), 3M-8210/N95 masks (43 boxes) and 3M-9010/N95 masks (15 boxes), including delivery charges from Kuala Lumpur.
On April 14, the complainant only received 35 boxes of the three-ply face masks. On April 23, the second delivery only contained several loaves of bread, soap and spaghetti.
Stanley disclosed that when the complainant followed up with the courier company in Sibu, he was informed that about 24 boxes of face masks had been sent back to Kuala Lumpur.
The complainant then tried contacting the courier company in Kuala Lumpur as he was unsure whether the returned boxes contained face masks, but to no avail.
He also requested the seller to refund his money, but until now, there had been no response.
According to Stanley, the modus operandi of the suspect was to induce his target to transfer money for the purchase of face masks which did not exist.
The police have opened an investigation paper under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating. — DayakDaily
