SIBU: Sibu Member of Parliament, Oscar Ling Chai Yew, has strongly condemned the activities of a fraud syndicate discovered to be impersonating the Sibu Democratic Action Party (DAP) branch.
According to him, this latest modus operandi involves phone calls to unsuspecting members of the public, claiming that government financial aid is ready to be credited into their accounts.
The sole purpose of these calls is to lure victims into revealing sensitive personal data.
“The syndicate’s cunning tactics came to light after I received a complaint from a local female café operator. The complainant stated she had received a call from an individual posing as a DAP Sibu staff member who offered her government financial assistance.
“However, the conversation took a suspicious turn when the caller began demanding critical personal details, including her bank account number, full name and identity card number.
“Realising it was a trap, the quick-witted woman chided the caller and flatly labeled them a ‘scammer’, prompting the suspect to abruptly hang up,” he said in a statement today (June 12).
In light of the incident, Ling expressed deep concern that this may not be an isolated case.
He voiced worries that other local residents – particularly those who are less exposed to cybersecurity issues – might have already fallen prey, leaving their personal data in the hands of criminals.
“The DAP Sibu Service Centre will never contact members of the public over the phone solely to request private information such as bank account numbers, full names or identity card numbers,” Ling clarified.
He advised the public to hang up immediately if they receive any unsolicited requests that use monetary gain as bait.
He also urged citizens to block the suspicious numbers, report them to their respective telecommunication service providers or file an immediate police report.
Emphasising that scam tactics have become increasingly sophisticated and diverse alongside rapid technological advancements, Ling called on the public to remain highly vigilant.
As a preventive measure, Sibu residents are strongly advised to save the official contact numbers of the DAP Sibu Headquarters Service Centre in their mobile phones official hotline: 084-322001 and WhatsApp number: 017-8331085.
“Anyone receiving a suspicious call from a number other than these two official lines are advised to treat it as a scam. Alternatively, members of the public can walk directly into the DAP Headquarters at Rajang Park to conduct a face-to-face verification,” he advised.
“I would like to remind the public not to be easily deceived by these offers to avoid devastating financial losses.
“I also urge the community to constantly monitor and educate vulnerable family members, particularly the elderly and children, about the ongoing threats of telecommunication and cyber scams to prevent their hard-earned savings from being wiped out.”
