03-08-2025
DAP man urges caution after businesswoman narrowly avoids JKR impersonation scam
Kong in a meeting with the victim.
KUCHING (Aug 3): A businesswoman nearly fell victim to an elaborate scam involving individuals impersonating officials from the Public Works Department (JKR) Sarawak.
According to Democratic Action Party Sarawak assistant publicity secretary Michael Kong, the victim was contacted by someone claiming to be an official from JKR Sarawak, who identified herself as Dorisi and required certain items for an upcoming staff function.
'To make the scam appear legitimate, Dorisi produced fake tender notices and documents supposedly signed by the JKR Sarawak director.
'After convincing the businesswoman of the authenticity of these documents, Dorisi requested the businesswoman to submit her company details, including sensitive information such as bank account numbers,' Kong said in a statement today.
Kong said the scammer then issued a Letter of Acceptance of Offer and Purchase Orders to the victim, further creating the impression of a real contract.
He said the scam took a darker turn when Dorisi instructed the victim to procure one of the listed items from a so-called 'previous vendor' of theirs.
'Sensing something was wrong, the businesswoman sought assistance and approached us. Upon investigation, we confirmed that there was no such JKR Sarawak tender (existed).'
Kong said they immediately assisted her in lodging a police report to prevent further harm.
This case, Kong stressed, should serve as a serious warning, especially to business owners, not to rely solely on phone calls, emails or online documents when handling business transactions.
He urged the public to always verify the legitimacy of tenders, purchase orders or contracts by visiting the relevant offices directly.
In addition, Kong said one must be cautious when asked to provide sensitive personal or company information, as such data can be misused for future scams or identity theft.
'Although this businesswoman was fortunate to avoid financial losses, her personal and business information is now in the hands of scammers, which could lead to further risks in the future,' he said.
He called on everyone to remain vigilant, skeptical and proactive in verifying the authenticity of any business dealings. jkr sarawak lead Michael Kong scam
