SIBU: A elderly man was left RM136,000 poorer after falling victim to an e-commerce scam.
The incident happened on Oct 9 when the victim, in his 60s, clicked on a Facebook link promoting the Ask-Oshop e-commerce platform and was redirected to WhatsApp.
Sibu police chief ACP Zulkipli Suhaili in a statement, said that the suspect had offered the victim a business opportunity involving branded cosmetic products.
These products, the suspect claimed, were sold online, requiring only capital investment with promises of profits from the sales.
“Intrigued by the offer and agreeing to proceed, the victim was instructed to download the Ask-Oshop app to confirm sales and increase capital for the items.
“Between Oct 13 and Nov 7, the victim transferred RM136,000 through 32 transactions into 11 bank accounts provided by the suspect. The payments were allegedly for adding sales items to the app.
“However, on Nov 10, the suspect informed the victim that the Ask-Oshop app had been frozen and demanded RM70,000 as a refund to continue the business,” he said.
Realising that he had been cheated, the man reported the incident to the police on Nov 12.
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, Zulkipli advised the public to be cautious of online business promotions promising high returns.
“Do not make advance payments, and conduct checks on the SSM OBA (Online Business Alert) portal managed by the Companies Commission of Malaysia to avoid falling victim to unethical business practices,” he said.
For further assistance, the public can contact the National Scam Response Centre (NSRC) at 997 or visit the Facebook pages @cybercrimealertrmp and @jsjkpdrm.
Suspicious bank accounts or numbers can also be verified through the Semak Mule website at http://ccid.rmp.gov.my/semakmule/.
