SIBU: Despite the economic pressures, online fraud syndicates are increasingly aggressive and ruthless.
Most recently, a single mother here in her 40s, working as an insurance salesperson, fell victim to the cunning tactics of scammers, incurring losses of almost RM9,000.
This case came to the attention of the Sarawak National Consumer Action Council (MTPN) after the victim contacted its president, Lucas Lau Sieu Sing, to file a complaint about the scam that had befallen her.
Lau expressed deep regret over the actions of the suspect who was willing to manipulate the victim’s emotions through the offer of a lucky prize ‘SPayLater Insta\lment’ by using an identity card and employee card that were believed to be fake to gain the victim’s trust.
He stressed that this act of impersonation was an offence under Section 416 of the Penal Code.
“This single mother’s case is just the ‘tip of the iceberg’ of a larger reality. According to the latest statistics, cybercrime in Malaysia has recorded drastic losses reaching almost RM2 billion a year with tens of thousands of cases reported.
“This figure proves that digital predators are now moving more professionally and aggressively in trapping unsuspecting citizens through e-commerce platforms,” he said in a statement on Thursday.
Based on the complaint received, Lau revealed that the victim was deceived by scanning a QR code that gave the suspect access to illegally hack into accounts – a violation under Section 4 of the Computer Crime Act 1997.
“The victim’s savings were squandered through quick transactions, and she was even manipulated into unknowingly getting into personal loans which are now burdening the victim with illegal debts,” he explained.
Therefore, he reminded the public to always be alert and not be easily fooled by offers that are “too good to be true”.
According to Lau, money that has changed hands is difficult to recover because syndicates often use fake identities and mule accounts to hide their tracks.
Meanwhile, Lau stressed that MTPN was always ready to work with the authorities to carry out more consumer awareness programmes for the community.
This initiative aims to increase the public’s knowledge of consumer rights and ways to protect themselves from becoming victims of fraud or manipulation by irresponsible parties. “Public awareness is the last resort. While existing laws protect consumers, self-vigilance is the key to avoiding becoming the next victim of ruthless digital predators in these challenging socio-economic circumstances,” he added.
