KUCHING: A businesswoman narrowly escaped falling victim to a fake tender scheme scam by individuals impersonating officers from the Sarawak Public Works Department (PWD).
The incident happened when she received a call from an individual who identified herself as ‘Dorisi’, claiming to be a representative from Sarawak PWD.
The caller said the department needed specific items for an upcoming staff function and presented forged tender documents, including a fake notice and letter allegedly signed by the PWD director.
The woman, whose identity was not known, was then asked to submit her company’s details, including sensitive information such as bank account numbers. To further convince her, the scammer issued a Letter of Acceptance and several Purchase Orders, giving the impression of a legitimate government contract.
‘Dorisi’ later instructed the woman to purchase one of the listed items from a purported “previous vendor”, which raised her suspicions.
She immediately sought help and approached the special assistant to Stampin MP Chong Chieng Jen, Michael Kong Feng Nian.
Kong confirmed that there was no such tender issued by Sarawak PWD.
“Upon investigation, we confirmed that there was no such Sarawak PWD tender. We immediately assisted her in lodging a police report to prevent further harm,” he said in a statement.
He added that the woman, though spared from financial loss, had already handed over confidential business and personal data, which could be exploited for identity theft or future scams.
“This case should serve as a serious reminder and warning to all members of the public, especially business owners, not to rely solely on telephone calls, emails, or online documents when dealing with business transactions.
“Always verify the legitimacy of tenders, purchase orders, or contracts by personally visiting the relevant offices directly,” he said.
Kong urged the public to remain alert and verify all business dealings, especially those involving unsolicited government-related contracts.
