MIRI: A 50-something man lost RM396,850 after falling victim to an online part-time job scam that promised lucrative commissions but ultimately drained his savings and forced him to borrow money from family members.
Miri district police chief ACP Mohd Farhan Lee Abdullah said the Commercial Crime Investigation Division (CCID) received a report on Jun 1 from the local man, who claimed he had been duped by a fraudulent online business scheme.
Investigations revealed that the victim was approached via WhatsApp by an individual identifying himself as “Lim”, who offered him an opportunity to earn income by managing customer purchase orders through an online e-commerce platform.
The victim was promised a 10 percent commission on every successful transaction. To participate, however, he was required to make advance payments for each order, purportedly to enable a factory to process and deliver goods to customers.
Throughout his involvement in the scheme, the victim was instructed to transfer money into several bank accounts.
Although profits appeared to accumulate in the system, he was unable to withdraw any of the funds and was repeatedly asked to make additional payments under various pretexts.
Realising he had been deceived, the victim lodged a police report after suffering losses amounting to RM396,850.
Mohd Farhan said the case reflected a common modus operandi employed by online syndicates, commonly known as “task scams”, “merchant scams” or “e-commerce scams”.
“Victims are enticed with promises of attractive commissions and quick profits. They are then persuaded to make repeated payments while fictitious profits are displayed on the platform to gain their trust.
“In reality, the profits shown are controlled by the syndicate and cannot be withdrawn. Victims only realise they have been cheated after losing substantial amounts of money,” he said.
The case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating. The investigating officer is Insp Sisim Abd Samad.
Mohd Farhan urged the public to remain vigilant and thoroughly verify any online job, investment or business opportunity before committing funds.
“Legitimate employers do not require individuals to deposit money in order to earn commissions or wages. If an offer sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
“We advise the public to conduct checks with the relevant authorities and seek advice before making any financial transaction,” he said.
Members of the public can verify suspicious telephone numbers and bank accounts through the CCID’s Semak Mule portal and are encouraged to contact the National Scam Response Centre (NSRC) at 997 immediately if they have recently transferred money to a suspected scammer’s account.
Police also urged the public to stay informed of the latest scam tactics through official channels operated by the Commercial Crime Investigation
