Woman loses RM37 to suspected e-hailing scam in Subang

The Sun

2 days ago

AS scammers overrun our phone lines, preying on the goodwill of Malaysians, it certainly helps to stay vigilant.
Recently, a young Malaysian woman warned others about a man who allegedly scammed her out of over RM30 after asking for her help to book an e-hailing ride.
'Luckily, he only asked for money. What if he had brandished a knife? I could have been dead! I just take it as the money wasn't meant for me – as long as I'm safe,' she wrote in a Threads post.
The incident reportedly took place at a parking bay in a Subang Jaya shopping mall.
'He was literally shaking and out of breath,' she alleged in her post.
According to the post, the man approached her for help, claiming his car keys were 'missing' and that his wallet was locked inside his car.
She said she asked him why he couldn't simply transfer the money directly to the e-hailing driver, instead of asking her to make the payment.
He later explained that he was using a different e-hailing platform to book his ride.
The woman eventually agreed to help.
She shared her contact number so that he could repay her, and while she was transferring the money into his bank account, he requested that she transfer RM37 instead.
'He claimed he wanted to ensure there was enough balance in his account. I was foolish enough to comply, assuming he would pay me back,' she wrote.
'But in my heart, I'd already accepted it — if he pays, it's a bonus; if he doesn't, it's okay, maybe the money just wasn't meant for me,' she added.
After getting into her car, she recalled seeing a social media post describing a similar incident — and that's when it hit her that she may have been scammed.
A screenshot of the conversation between her and the man — attached to the post — showed her having a one-sided exchange, including a QR code for him to repay her.
As the post gained traction, several users came forward with similar experiences, with one user claiming to have allegedly encountered the same man.