SIBU: A pet shop owner’s attempt to purchase fruits online took a bitter turn when scammers siphoned RM110,747.62 from her account through a phishing link.
The incident happened on July 5 when the victim, a woman in her 40s, came across a fruit sale advertisement on Facebook and clicked the link.
Immediately after, her phone shut down on its own.
Upon restarting the device, the victim noticed several unauthorised transactions had taken place through her bank and credit card accounts.
Sibu police chief, ACP Zulkipli Suhaili, said the victim contacted her bank’s customer service and was informed that her funds had been transferred to third parties without her consent.
“A total of nine transactions amounting to RM110,747.62 were made into eight different local bank accounts.
“Realising she had fallen victim to a scam, the woman lodged a police report on July 6 for further investigation,” he said.
The case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating and dishonestly inducing the delivery of property.
As a precautionary measure, Zulkipli advised the public to remain vigilant when browsing social media advertisements and avoid sharing personal information online.
“Always verify the authenticity of links before clicking on them, and ensure your device is protected with up-to-date security software,” he said.
For assistance or more information, the public may contact the National Scam Response Centre (NSRC) at 997 or follow the Facebook pages of @CyberCrimeAlertRMP and @JSJKPDRM.
Members of the public can also verify suspicious bank accounts or phone numbers at http://ccid.rmp.gov.my/semakmule/.
