MIRI: The police have urged the public to be on the alert and seek sufficient information before making decisions on advertised online projects.
This comes after two project scams, in which fraudsters posed as personnel from a local authority and the Ministry of Public Health, Housing and Local Government (MPHLG), resulting in two victims losing a total of RM155,100.
According to Miri police chief ACP Alexson Naga Chabu, the first case involved a local contractor, a woman in her 40s, who received an order for two units of the V500 GNSS Receiver Hi-Target from an individual claiming to be an officer from the Sri Aman District Council.
“The individual requested the victim to place the order with M.N. Seven Trading.
“However, the company’s agent could no longer be contacted after the victim had made the purchase,” he said in a statement today.
He added that the Sri Aman Municipal Council had confirmed that they never placed such an order, leaving the victim with a financial loss of RM66,000.
Meanwhile, the second case involved a local businessman in his 30s, who received an order for a type of survey instrument from an individual posing as an MPHLG officer.
“The individual instructed the victim to place an order with M.N. Seven Trading / Blue Triangle Solution.
“However, the company’s agent could not be reached after the payment was made, and MPHLG also confirmed that they had never placed such an order.
“The victim suffered a loss of RM89,100,” he added.
The case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code, which carries a penalty of imprisonment for not less than one year and up to ten years, along with whipping and a fine upon conviction.
“The public may contact the National Scam Response Centre (NSRC) via the hotline 997 if they have fallen victim to cyber fraud and have recently transferred funds to a suspect’s bank account or e-wallet,” he added.
