LIMBANG: Two individuals, a university student and a retired teacher, have fallen victim to an e-commerce scam, resulting in a combined loss of RM6,291.
In a statement, Limbang OCPD Supt Parum Niot said the police received two reports from the victims on Monday (Oct 2).
“The 22-year-old university student came across an advertisement for an iPhone 11 Pro Max on Facebook, priced at an enticing RM500. Intrigued by the offer, the student paid a total of RM4,791 for the phone.
“On the other hand, the 58-year-old retired teacher came across a motorcycle sales advertisement for Yamaha Y15 and Y16 motorcycles, also priced at RM500 each. The retiree paid RM1,500 for the motorcycles.
“Despite paying more than the offered price, both victims did not receive the promised goods and they realised they had been cheated,” he said.
Supt Parum added that the victims were lured into making these purchases due to the significantly lower prices advertised compared to the market rates.
In view of this, he cautioned the public against falling for offers that seem too good to be true.
To prevent falling victim to such scams, Supt Parum advised the public to verify the seller’s credibility by checking the phone number and bank account provided through the ‘Semak Mule’ portal.
Additionally, potential buyers should compare advertised prices with market rates and investigate the background of the seller, especially if the price appears unusually low.
For those seeking advice or wishing to report commercial crime cases, they can reach out to the Limbang district police headquarters at 085-211466/252 or contact the Limbang Commercial Crime Investigation Division chief Insp Johari Mudin at 019-8280895.