Clerk loses RM126k to insurance scam

17 hours ago

KUANTAN: A clerk attempting to post a RM68,000 bail after his identity was allegedly linked to a fake insurance claim ended up losing RM126,500 of his savings to fraudsters.
The 56-year-old victim from Kuantan only realised after six months that he had fallen victim to an insurance scam.
Acting Kuantan police chief, Superintendent Mohd Adli Mat Daud, said the incident began in November last year when the man received a phone call from an individual claiming to represent an insurance agency.
"The caller alleged that the victim's name had been misused to file fraudulent insurance claims. The call was then transferred to two other individuals posing as a police officer and a prosecuting officer.
"The victim was informed that he had to pay RM68,000 in bail to settle the case. He made three separate transactions through a cash deposit machine into three different bank accounts," he said in a statement today.
Adli said the victim transferred a total of RM126,500 from his savings between Dec 5 last year and June 1 this year.
He said that the victim realised he had been scammed when he was no longer able to contact the individuals involved and lodged a police report yesterday.
Adli advised the public not to panic or share personal information when receiving calls from unknown individuals. The public are advised to verify account numbers at https://semakmule.rmp.gov.my before making any transactions.

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Funeral group calls for end to ‘duit kopi'

The Star

an hour ago

The Star

Funeral group calls for end to ‘duit kopi'

PETALING JAYA: The Malaysia Funeral Public Association has called for strict adherence to the law among those in the business. Its deputy president Jamelia Looi Heng Ling said the practice of undertakers tipping hospital employees to secure clients should not be allowed as it is unethical. 'We need to follow the laws and regulations. It is not ethical (to pay) just to get some information,' she said when contacted. As such, she said the association supports the Health Ministry's call to prohibit hospital staff from accepting any form of gratification or bribes for mortuary services. It was reported on Monday that the ministry had issued a circular on the matter. It said hospital staff must not provide information or personal details of the deceased to external parties involved in funeral management. Looi said the association is well aware of the 'duit kopi' culture, adding that such a practice among undertakers has been ongoing for many years. ('Duit kopi' or literally 'coffee money' refers to informal payments or a 'token of appreciation' to get or expedite certain services.) A member of a non-governmental organisation, who has been dealing with forensics staff in a particular hospital, said the competition among undertakers has intensified in recent years. 'You can always see them in the vicinity of the forensics unit,' he said. He also pointed out that some undertakers have almost doubled their rates in recent times, claiming that this could be partly due to them having to 'pay' to get information about the deceased. Citing an example, he said the complete ceremony of bathing the remains of a deceased non-Muslim, transporting the body in a hearse, coffin cost, priest fees and cremation charges used to cost less than RM2,500 but this has now almost doubled. 'This has caused unnecessary hardship, especially to B40 and M40 families,' he said. As such, he said he is glad the authorities have issued a reminder to hospital staff to not accept any form of gratification or bribes for mortuary services. In some cases, he said undertakers also engage moneylenders to offer loans to the family of a deceased unable to settle their bill in one go. 'Sometimes when a family turns up at the mortuary, the remains of the deceased would have already be placed in a coffin. 'They would have no choice but to agree to the charges asked by the undertaker as the remains cannot be kept any longer at the mortuary,' he said. Another individual, also speaking on condition of anonymity, claimed to know of cases where undertakers would go up to the ward to speak with the next-of-kin of a terminally ill patient. 'How would they know there is such a sick person in the first place?' he asked. In one case, a Selangor resident, whose relative died at a hospital in Johor recently, was surprised to get a call from an undertaker offering his services to bring home the remains for the final rites. 'I was wondering how an undertaker in another state obtained my mobile number,' she said, adding that she eventually arranged for a hearse provided by a religious organisation at a minimal charge. As for Muslim burials, Mohammad Mukhlis Rahim, who is the assistant director of the funeral management unit under the Federal Territories Islamic Religious Department (Jawi), said there are strict procedures involved. 'Jawi only handles Muslim burials for unclaimed bodies, while the rest will be handled by the respective family members or next of kin. 'The cases differ depending on the circumstances and the mosque committee will usually also assist,' he said. According to him, they will receive an official request from the hospital to manage the burials for Muslims. 'So, we have proper procedures to follow and arrange everything accordingly,' he said, adding that they will only proceed once there is proper verification that the deceased was Muslim.

[UPDATED] Police confirm nudity at marriage motivation programme

New Straits Times

9 hours ago

New Straits Times

[UPDATED] Police confirm nudity at marriage motivation programme

SHAH ALAM: Police have confirmed that nudity occurred during the recent eHati marriage motivation programme. Selangor police chief Datuk Hussein Omar Khan said four facilitators were involved in a "rebirth" ritual during the event where they were naked. "Based on our investigations, participants were charged between RM6,000 and RM9,000 for two separate packages. "Those who paid for the RM9,000 package were granted access to a 'Queens Night' scene where nudity was involved," he told reporters today. He said investigations revealed that participants included professionals and civil servants. "The participants came from all over the country. One of them was traced and caught in Kedah. "Based on our checks, the event was not religious or Islamic in nature but based more on motivation," he said, adding that participants from different religions were also involved as it aimed to help them rediscover happiness. He said these programmes had been conducted in the past but police believed this was the first time the "Queens Night" ritual was performed. "We have gathered various liquid samples from the event for further analysis by the Chemistry Department to identify if they were laced with drugs or prohibited substances. "We have a list of the 50 people, including participants, who attended the event. "To date, we have already recorded statements from 30 of them, including the organisers and facilitators. "Those who have yet to come forward should do so immediately," he said, adding that stern action would be taken, including making arrests. It was reported that eHati International Sdn Bhd founders Diyana Tahir and Rahim Shukor, along with four others, have been remanded for three days. The remand order was issued by magistrate Ameera Mastura Khamis after the four women and two men, aged 26 to 57, were brought before the Shah Alam Magistrate's Court. They are being investigated under Section 509 of the Penal Code for insulting the modesty of a person, Section 294 of the Penal Code for indecent behaviour, and Section 14 of the Minor Offences Act. Lawyer Datuk M. Reza Hassan, who is representing four of the six, including the couple and their child, said he has filed an application to review the decision to allow a three-day remand. Yesterday, it was reported that Diyana and Rahim were detained after giving their statements at the Petaling Jaya police headquarters. The couple have denied allegations of spiked drinks and deviant practices at one of their recent events. They also said they have lodged a police report and a report with the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission over the claims.

Cops confirm nudity at controversial motivational programme

Malaysiakini

9 hours ago

Malaysiakini

Cops confirm nudity at controversial motivational programme

The police confirmed that nude activities were carried out during a controversial motivational programme held at the Ideal Convention Centre (IDCC) in Shah Alam. Selangor police chief Hussein Omar Khan said the nude activity was called 'rebirth' and was part of a package from the programme, known as Package B, that cost RM9,000. 'At the event, there were...