SIBU: It’s a lottery scam now. An elderly man lost RM120,000 to a group of three individuals who deceived him into believing he had won a lottery.
The incident happened earlier this month when the victim in his late 70s, was approached by two women and one man at a parking lot near a hotel in Kanowit.
The suspects convinced the victim that he was a fortunate winner of a lottery ticket, boasting a cash prize of RM300,000.
Sarawak Police Commissioner Datuk Mohd Azman Ahmad Sapri said that to facilitate the supposed transfer of his lottery winnings, the trio asked for his bank account.
The scheme took a twist when the victim was coerced into parting with RM120,000 upfront under the guise of covering the expenses for the purported lottery ticket payment.
“Succumbing to the suspects’ manipulations, the victim agreed to their terms. The trio then took the victim in a vehicle to Sibu town, ostensibly to process the payment for the lottery ticket winnings.
“Upon reaching a lottery outlet in town, one of the suspects entered the premises to supposedly validate the winning ticket.
“After that, the victim was brought to a financial institution to withdraw RM120,000 from his Amanah Saham Nasional Berhad (ASNB) account and savings account,” he said.
Once the money was in hand, the elderly man handed over the money to the suspects and he was brought back to Kanowit town.
Mohd Azman said it was only a few days later that the victim realised the harsh reality that he had been deceived.
He checked his bank account and did not find any deposit of RM300,000 as promised by the trio.
The victim reported the incident to the police yesterday (Nov 7) and the case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating and dishonestly inducing the delivery of property.
In light of this, the public are urged to exercise caution and refrain from placing unwavering trust in enticing offers presented by unfamiliar individuals.
“Do not be greedy and be blinded by the offer of winning money that has not yet been confirmed to be valid,” Mohd Azman said.
