MIRI: The police here are investigating three separate cases of online fraud in all three victims were scammed of RM2,000 each.
Miri Police chief ACP Alexson Naga Chabu disclosed that they have received reports of all three cases yesterday (April 16).
In the first incident, a businessman man in his 40’s was duped into purchasing a non-existent registration plate number for his car.
The incident unfolded after the victim posting on his Facebook page that he was searching for a car registration number.
The victim, whose identity remains anonymous, was targeted by a scammer who responded to his post, claiming to have the information he sought.
What began as a simple request turned into a nefarious scheme, as the suspect engaged the victim in negotiations.
Assured of the legitimacy of the deal, the victim had transferred RM2,000 to the scammer in exchange for the promised car registration details.
He only realised being duped when he made a check at the Road Transport Department (RTD) on the registration plate number he had just bought.
“Upon checking on the number, they told him that the number is non-existence in the system,” Alexson said.
The second case involved a young man in his 20s, who lost RM2,000 after falling prey to a scam involving the purchase of digital currency from China, which turned out to be non-existent.
Adding to the tally, a housewife in her 40s was swindled in a similar fashion, losing RM2,000 after attempting to buy a gold necklace online, only to discover the item was non-existent.
With the ongoing investigations, authorities urged the public to remain vigilant and exercise caution when engaging in online transactions, advising thorough verification of sellers and products before making any payments.
