SERIAN: Police had arrested a 64-year-old local man here for allegedly masterminding a 4D/6D lottery scam that left two victims with losses totalling RM69,000.
Serian District Police Chief, Supt Freddy Bian Stanislaus Bian, said the suspect was detained on Jan 28 following intelligence received by the Commercial Crime Investigation Division (CCID) of the Serian District Police Headquarters.
“The suspect is believed to have been actively involved in a 4D/6D lottery scam in the Serian area.
“He allegedly posed as an Indonesian national who had won a 4D/6D lottery prize but claimed he was unable to cash in the ticket due to his nationality,.
“The suspect is alleged to have convinced victims to help withdraw the winnings using their bank accounts, before bringing them to a bank to verify account balances and make cash withdrawals,” he said in a statement.
Freddy said the suspect also instructed victims to hand over valuables, including ATM cards.
One victim reportedly suffered losses amounting to RM58,000, while another lost RM11,000.
During the arrest, the suspect allegedly acted aggressively and attempted to flee by getting into a vehicle, but was successfully detained after a brief struggle.
Police also seized various items believed to have been used in the scam, along with a car.
Further checks revealed that the suspect has four previous criminal records related to 4D/6D lottery fraud.
He has been remanded at the Serian police lock-up to facilitate investigations into similar cases in Serian and other districts.
The case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating, which carries a jail term of between one and 10 years, whipping and a fine.
Police are also probing offences under Section 186 for obstructing a public servant and Section 353 for using criminal force against a public servant, both of which carry jail terms of up to two years, a fine, or both.
Freddy advised the public to remain vigilant against the rising trend of scams and urged anyone with information on suspicious activities to contact Serian police at 082-874201 or through the Serian District Police Facebook page.
