SIBU: A woman in her 30s here fell victim to an online job scam, losing RM33,726 after being deceived by a non-existent part-time job offer.
Sibu police chief ACP Zulkipli Suhaili confirmed that the police received a report on the case on Oct 14. The victim, a private sector employee, was lured by a part-time job advertisement she came across on Facebook in this month.
“The victim contacted a person by the name of Winnie via WhatsApp, responding to the job offer. She was instructed to perform tasks that involved clicking on links and pressing the ‘like and submit’ button, for which she was promised commissions upon completion,” Zulkipli said in a statement.
However, the scam escalated when the suspect offered the victim an opportunity to earn even higher commissions, provided she transferred money first. Enticed by the offer, the woman made six money transfers to different local accounts, totalling RM33,726.
After making the payments, the suspect continued demanding more money. When the victim tried to contact the suspect again, she discovered that her calls had been blocked. Realising she had been duped, she promptly lodged a police report.
The police have opened an investigation under Section 420 of the Penal Code, which deals with cheating and dishonestly inducing the delivery of property.
ACP Zulkipli advised the public to be cautious of job offers on social media that promise high returns. He urged people to thoroughly verify the legitimacy of the companies or agencies involved before applying for or accepting any suspicious job offers.
For advice or further information, the public can contact the National Scam Response Centre (NSRC) at 997 or visit Facebook pages @CyberCrimeAlertRMP and @JSJKPDRM.
Bank account and suspicious phone number verifications can also be made through the CCID website at http://ccid.rmp.gov.my/semakmule/.
