SARIKEI: A promise of a lucrative government tender turned into an expensive lesson for a local pharmacist after scammers posing as government officials and suppliers vanished with about RM15,000.
The unfortunate incident occurred in mid-January when the victim, a woman in her 30s, received a call from a Chinese man who claimed to be an officer from the Sarawak Social Welfare Department.
Speaking confidently, the caller allegedly offered her company a tender to supply medical equipment — an offer that appeared legitimate and time-sensitive.
When the victim explained that she did not have the required equipment, the suspect provided the contact number of a purported supplier, claiming the items could be sourced urgently.
Trusting the arrangement, the victim contacted the supplier and agreed to purchase the medical equipment.
Believing everything was in order, she transferred RM15,000 in stages into two different bank accounts as instructed. Despite that, the equipment never arrived.
Truth came to light when repeated attempts to contact both individuals failed, only for the victim to realise that her phone number had been blocked by them.
Sarikei police chief Supt Aswandy Anis said the case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating and dishonestly inducing the delivery of property.
“Members of the public are advised to be cautious when dealing with unknown individuals and not to accept offers at face value, even if callers claim to represent official agencies or present documents that may be forged.
“Suspicious calls should always be verified through official channels,” he said.
Those who believe they have fallen victim to scams are urged to contact the National Scam Response Centre (NSRC) hotline at 997, and report suspicious activities to the Sarawak Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID) via its hotline at 011-62890089.
