By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, Aug 16: A 49-year-old local man lost RM104,310 after being duped by a scammer impersonating his friend on WhatsApp.
In a statement, Kuching district police chief ACP Alexson Naga Chabu said that on Aug 13, the victim purportedly received a message from his friend requesting help to make an advance payment for the purchase of goods.
Believing the request was genuine, the victim made four transactions to three different bank accounts between Aug 13 and Aug 15, amounting to RM104,310.
However, on Aug 15, the victim was informed by his friend that the latter’s WhatsApp account was believed to have been hacked. The friend also denied ever asking the victim to make the payments.
“The case was being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating and dishonestly inducing a person to deliver property.
“The offence carries a jail term of between one and 10 years, whipping, and a possible fine upon conviction,” he said.
Police advised members of the public not to panic and to immediately end suspicious calls, while avoiding sharing personal or banking information with unknown callers.
They were also urged to check before making payments to third parties and to verify suspicious bank account and telephone numbers through the Royal Malaysia Police’s Semak Mule portal.
For enquiries or complaints, the public can contact the Sarawak Commercial Crime Investigation Department hotline at 011-62890089 or email kjsjkswk@rmp.gov.my. They can also contact the 997 National Scam Response Centre, which operates 24 hours a day. — DayakDaily
