KUCHING: Scammers are targeting companies with fake procurement deals for schools and universities.
The Sarawak Community Civil Awareness Association (SCCA) which brought this to light has called on businesses to remain vigilant.
Its chairman Datuk Dr Lau Pang Heng said the syndicate used prepaid or temporary SIM cards to impersonate representatives of universities and private schools before luring victims into making payments to fraudulent suppliers.
He said victims were first approached to supply computers and other equipment before being asked to provide their vehicle registration numbers, purportedly for guardhouse entry ahead of a meeting.
“The scammers would then claim there was an urgent need to purchase specialised paint supplies and direct the victims to a so-called hardware supplier.
“Payments made to the supplier were actually transferred to mule accounts, with no goods ever delivered.
“The victims would later be accused of being unreliable and the original business deal would be cancelled,” he said in a statement.
Lau said the syndicate had recently expanded its tactics by targeting hardware retailers.
He said the scammers, using phone numbers ending in 324 and 587, posed as principals of private schools seeking to purchase 40 stainless steel double-decker beds worth RM60,000.
One of the numbers also impersonated a supplier and requested a RM30,000 deposit.
“The ‘claimed’ principal then encouraged the retailer to invoice the school RM1,900 for each bed, allowing a profit margin of RM400 per unit.
“It appeared to be an attractive business opportunity, but fortunately one hardware retailer verified the matter with SCCA before making any payment.
“Our checks confirmed that both numbers were linked to scammers,” he said.
Lau urged businesses to verify suspicious requests, particularly those involving urgent payments or unfamiliar suppliers, before proceeding with any transactions.
He also advised members of the public to seek guidance from the nearest police station if they encountered similar scams.
