KUCHING: An elderly man was left RM111,245 poorer after a year-long online part-time job scam lured him with promises of lucrative commissions before draining his savings through a series of bank transfers.
The 67-year-old lodged a police report yesterday (Jun 23) prompting an investigation by the district Commercial Crime Investigation Division (CCID).
Investigations found that the victim stumbled upon a Facebook page operating under the name “RWESHOPS” on Jun 1, 2025, while browsing the internet at home.
Kuching police chief ACP Alexson Naga Chabu said the page advertised an online part-time job, promising generous commissions for completing simple assignments.
“Tempted by the attractive returns, the victim signed up and was gradually given a series of tasks.
“To unlock higher commissions and continue receiving new assignments, he was repeatedly instructed to make payments into bank accounts provided by the suspects.
“Believing the scheme was legitimate, the victim carried out 24 transactions into six different bank accounts over the course of the scam,” he said.
It was only after he failed to recover either his capital or the promised commissions that he realised he had been cheated, suffering total losses of RM111,245.
The case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating and dishonestly inducing the delivery of property, punishable with imprisonment of up to 10 years, whipping and a fine, upon conviction.
Alexson urged the public to be wary of online part-time job offers circulating on social media, especially those promising quick and unusually high returns with minimal effort.
He also advised them to verify suspicious bank accounts and phone numbers through the Semak Mule portal before making any financial transactions.
Anyone who realises they have fallen victim to a scam should immediately contact the National Scam Response Centre (NSRC) at 997 within 24 hours to increase the chances of freezing the fraudulent transactions.
The public is also encouraged to report suspicious scam-related activities to the Sarawak CCID via its hotline, WhatsApp
