SARATOK: A local woman was arrested for her alleged involvement as an account mule in a homestay rental scam that defrauded another woman of RM740.
The 48-year-old suspect was taken into custody by the Commercial Crime Investigation Division (CCID) last Monday.
Saratok Police Chief, DSP Mathew Manggie, said the arrest was made under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating.
“On November 9, the victim, a 38-year-old research officer from Serian, had booked a homestay at Miri Bungalow via a Facebook account named Vacation Rentals.
“The victim later transferred RM740 into the suspect’s account as payment.
“Subsequent attempts to contact the homestay via WhatsApp went unanswered, and the homestay confirmed that no such booking existed,” he said.
The victim later lodged a police report for further investigation.
During questioning, the suspect admitted to have shared her personal details with a man in connection with a personal loan in 2023 but claimed she was unaware of the RM740 transfer, stating that she had never open the account.
Mathew said the suspect is scheduled to face charges at Saratok Court on December 12.
