130 duped by wellness firm, losses near RM700,000
JOHOR BAHRU: Johor police have received 130 reports from individuals who claimed they were cheated by a health and wellness company, 38 Speed Relax and Wellness, with total losses amounting to RM698,155.67.
State police chief Datuk M. Kumar said the victims had purchased packages priced according to the number of treatments selected, with services supposedly available at any of the company's outlets nationwide, at any time.
'However, the victims only realised they had been duped when they could no longer contact the company to schedule appointments. They later discovered that all of the company's outlets had ceased operations without any prior notice,' he said in a statement today.
Kumar said investigations are ongoing under Section 420 of the Penal Code, which carries a penalty of imprisonment for a term between one and 10 years, with whipping, and a possible fine, upon conviction.
Earlier, media reports stated that over 1,000 customers had alleged they were scammed after a health and beauty centre operating 28 outlets nationwide abruptly shut down.
MCA Public Services and Complaints Bureau chairman Heng Zhi Li was quoted as saying the company's sudden closure left many customers unable to redeem the services they had already paid for in full.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
35 minutes ago
- The Star
Ranau civil servant loses RM13,000 in scammers posing as officials
KOTA KINABALU: A civil servant in his 30s lost RM13,000 in savings after falling victim to a scam by imposters posing as officials. The victim reportedly received a call from someone claiming to be an official from the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) and later, a policeman, accusing him of spreading fake news on investments, job offers, and gambling. Ranau OCPD Supt Mursalin Mahmud said the victim allegedly received the calls on May 27, initially from someone claiming to be an MCMC officer. "The caller claimed that his phone number was involved in the dissemination of fake messages. The call was then allegedly reconnected to another individual claiming to be a policeman from the Perak Police Headquarters," he said. After lengthy conversations and instilling fear, the victim was ordered to transfer RM13,000 to a bank account belonging to one Muhammad Azlan for 'account protection,' he explained. Supt Mursalin said the victim was also instructed to update photos and personal details every three hours to the 'cop' as a form of reporting himself to the police. "Later, the victim realised that he had been cheated and lodged a report at the Ranau Police Station on Tuesday (June 10) night," he said. The case is now being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating. Supt Mursalin urged the public to remain calm and think rationally when receiving calls from unknown numbers to avoid being scammed. He emphasised the importance of staying composed when speaking to supposed authorities and enforcement agencies via phone calls to protect oneself from becoming victims of cheating syndicates. He also warned against revealing any personal, banking, or identification information over the phone, and advised against carrying out monetary transactions online or via telephone. "Always call back the police station or agencies allegedly involved on their official land-lines to verify any calls or matters," stressed Supt Mursalin.
The Sun
2 hours ago
- The Sun
Ex-private university registrar charged with forging document
KUALA LUMPUR: A former registrar of a private university in Perlis pleaded not guilty in the Sessions Court here today to 36 counts of forgery of documents to withdraw RM826,481.29 from the university's funds. Mohd Fairuz Al-Fatah Badarudin, 40, who is also a former special officer at the university, is accused of forging authorisation letters for fraudulent purposes involving a total of RM826,481.29. The offences were allegedly committed at a bank in Jalan Raja Chulan here between June 20, 2022, and July 10, 2023. He is charged under Section 468 of the Penal Code which provides for a maximum jail sentence of seven years and a fine, if convicted. Deputy public prosecutor Ahmad Fariz Abdul Hamid offered bail at RM100,000 in one surety, while G. Sivajothi Pillai, a lawyer from the National Legal Aid Foundation (YBGK) representing the accused, requested a lower bail of RM10,000, on the grounds that her client is currently employed as a lecturer at an aviation training institution, earning RM2,600 a month. 'The accused also has to support his 10-year-old twins, while his 41-year-old wife is currently unemployed after an accident left her with a fractured left leg. He has also fully cooperated with the authorities throughout the investigation,' said the lawyer. Judge Suzana Hussin then allowed the accused bail of RM15,000 in one surety for all charges with the additional condition that the accused to surrender his passport to the court until the disposal of the case. The court set July 17 for mention.
New Straits Times
2 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Man charged with kicking pregnant wife, slamming her head against wall
BATU PAHAT: A former security guard was charged in the magistrate's court here today with assaulting his pregnant wife and damaging a motorcycle last Saturday. The accused, Danial Azrey Affendy Mohd Noradi, 21, pleaded not guilty to both charges when they were read out by the court interpreter before magistrate Arun Noval Dass. According to the first charge, he is accused of intentionally causing injury to his 22-year-old wife by kicking her in the stomach and slamming her head against a wall at a house in Taman Desa Sri Banang at 1.15pm on June 7. The offence falls under Section 323, read together with Section 326A of the Penal Code. Section 323 carries a maximum sentence of one year in prison or a fine of up to RM2,000, or both. Meanwhile, Section 326A provides for a sentence twice the maximum for offences committed under Section 323 if convicted. For the second charge, the father of one is accused of kicking his wife's motorcycle, causing RM58 worth of damage, at Jalan Haji Ibrahim, Kampung Rahmat/Kampung Nawi Jaya, Jalan Tanjung Laboh, at around 3pm the same day. He is charged under Section 427 of the Penal Code, which carries a penalty of up to five years in prison, a fine, or both upon conviction. According to the police report, the wife, who is two weeks pregnant with their second child, had asked the accused to accompany her to Kulai to collect a baby cradle. He allegedly refused and told her to go alone. When she attempted to persuade him, he became angry, pulled her hair, and slammed her against the wall. He then allegedly kicked her in the stomach, causing pain, before she lodged a police report at Batu Pahat police station. The prosecution was led by deputy public prosecutor Firdaus Ruslan, while the accused was represented by lawyer Zulyatie Awang. The court granted bail at RM4,000 and imposed an additional condition requiring the accused to report to the nearest police station once every three weeks. The case has been set for mention on July 14 for document submission.
