KUCHING: A local manicurist’s attempt to secure supplementary income through an online job took a tragic turn when she fell victim to a job scam that left her RM158,000 poorer.
In mid-November, the woman in her early 30s stumbled upon a work-from-home advertisement on the Facebook page of Rock Space.
The seemingly enticing job offer did not involve any upfront fees; instead, she was instructed to click on a provided link to initiate the job, which is topping up money into specified bank accounts, as directed by customer service.
Sarawak Police Commissioner Datuk Mancha Ata said that the victim received instructions via WhatsApp throughout the online work process.
“Acting on these instructions, she transferred a total of RM158,000 from her bank account to nine different accounts in various stages throughout November.
“Surprisingly, the victim received a commission of RM397.30 from the online job. However, her realisation of being deceived struck when attempts to withdraw the accumulated money and profits from her e-wallet account proved futile.
“Adding insult to injury, the suspect demanded an additional payment of RM50,000 for the victim to redeem her funds,” he said.
The victim promptly reported the incident to the police and the case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating and dishonestly inducing the delivery of property.
In view of this, he advised the public not to be easily influenced by job offers through social media that promises too-good-to-be-true offers.
“Please get detailed information and check the background of the company offering online jobs first before accepting it,” he said.
