Two mechanics lose over RM86,000 in separate scam cases in Miri
MIRI (July 28): Two local mechanics lost RM79,000 and RM7,000 respectively in two separate scam cases reported here on Sunday (July 27).
Miri district police chief ACP Mohd Farhan Lee Abdullah said in the first case, a man in his 30s received a phone call on July 24 from an individual claiming to be from the Perlis state police headquarters, alleging that his name had been linked to a money laundering syndicate.
'The victim's call was subsequently redirected to a man who introduced himself as a police officer from the Kuala Lumpur police headquarters. The suspect then instructed the victim to withdraw money from his account and transfer it to a third-party account provided by the suspect,' he said in a statement today.
Mohd Farhan said the victim only realised he had been duped after becoming suspicious of the suspect's demands, prompting him to lodge a police report.
'The total loss incurred by the victim is estimated at RM79,000,' he added.
In the second case, the victim, in his 20s, had come across a Facebook post on July 26 by an individual named 'Yen Ni' advertising cheap vehicles repossessed by banks.
'The victim was interested and initiated contact with the suspect via Facebook Marketplace, before further communication took place through WhatsApp,' said Mohd Farhan.
He said the suspect, who claimed to be a representative of Sabrina Motor Group in Bintulu, later sent the victim a website link (https://sabrinamotorsgroup.com) which displayed images of a black 2016 Toyota Harrier.
'The victim expressed interest in purchasing the vehicle and was asked to make a deposit and cover the costs of ownership transfer,' he said.
However, the victim became suspicious when asked to make further payments for unreasonable purposes and realised he had been scammed.
Mohd Farhan said the victim suffered a loss of RM7,000 in the incident.
Both cases are being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating.
He advised the public to remain vigilant and not to trust advertisements that promise high returns or deals that seem too good to be true.
Members of the public are urged to verify the legitimacy of any investment or transaction through official channels such as Bank Negara Malaysia's Financial Consumer Alert List (www.bnm.gov.my/financialconsumer-alert-list) and the Securities Commission Malaysia's Investor Alert List (www.sc.com.my/regulation/enforcement/investor-alerts/sc-investor-alerts/investor-alert-list).
'If you have just made a fund transfer to a mule account or scam syndicate, contact the National Scam Response Centre (NSRC) immediately by dialling 997,' he added.
As an additional safeguard, the public is reminded that they can check suspicious phone numbers and bank accounts using the Royal Malaysia Police's 'Check Scammers CCID' portal via http://semakmule.rmp.gov.my before conducting any financial transactions.
To stay updated on the latest scam tactics, the public is encouraged to follow JSJK PDRM and Cyber Crime Alert RMP on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. crime mechanic Mohd Farhan Lee Abdullah scam
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