MERADONG: A woman was arrested for allegedly acting as an account mule in an Instagram scam involving the sale of sports shoes.
Meradong police chief DSP Tansli Mering said the 30-something woman was picked up by officers from the district Commercial Crime Investigation Division (CCID) during ‘Ops Mule’ yesterday (Aug 18).
“The case came to light after the victim, who was interested in buying sports shoes advertised on Instagram, made three separate payments into a bank account allegedly provided by the suspect.
“The victim lost RM1,000 in total after the seller failed to fulfil the transaction,” he said.
Investigations found that the woman was linked to police reports lodged in Sarikei and Kluang.
However, background checks revealed that she had no prior criminal record.
Tansli said the case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code, which carries a jail term of up to 10 years, whipping and a fine, upon conviction.
Members of the public are urged to verify the legitimacy of sellers and bank accounts with the authorities or relevant agencies before making online payments.
Those who encounter online scams can contact the National Scam Response Centre (NSRC) at 997 or Bintangor police station at 084-693222.
