KUALA TERENGGANU: A bank officer was left devastated after losing his savings, including in the Employees Provident Fund (EPF), totalling RM241,700 to an online vehicle purchase scam.
Kuala Terengganu police chief ACP Azli Mohd Noor said the incident began last July 4 when the 52-year-old victim came across an advertisement for a used four-wheel-drive vehicle on Facebook.
Intrigued by the offer, he said, the victim clicked on the link and began communicating with the alleged seller via the WhatsApp application and was then instructed to give a copy of his identity card and a sum of money as an advance payment to a representative of the suspect’s company, claimed to be based in Port Klang, Selangor.
“Between July 9 to 21, the victim made 40 payments to eight different accounts totalling RM241,700. The victim began to feel cheated when asked to make an additional payment of RM31,000 supposedly for fingerprinting costs at the Royal Malaysian Customs Department (JKDM),” he said in a statement today.
Azli said the victim lodged a police report at 9.37 am yesterday, and the case was being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code. – BERNAMA
