Farmer loses RM110,000 to fake car deal

KOTA TINGGI: A farmer lost over RM110,000 after being duped into buying a non-existent car through social media here.

Kota Tinggi OCPD Supt Yusof Othman said police received a report about the online scam from the 55-year-old victim on Thursday (Sept 25).

“The case began in early September when the victim came across an advertisement for a second-hand car priced at RM49,000.

“After agreeing to purchase the vehicle, he was told to make several online payments, supposedly for the deposit, registration and other processes, which eventually amounted to RM110,840,” he said in a statement.

Supt Yusof said the victim made a total of 17 transactions to nine bank accounts before realising he had fallen prey to a scam.

“The victim suspected that he had been scammed after noticing that the payments he made exceeded the car’s advertised price.

“He then lodged a police report, and the case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating,” he added.

He urged the public to be cautious when making online purchases and to verify the authenticity of items offered to avoid falling victim to scams.

“The public can obtain information on the latest commercial crime modus operandi by following the official social media pages of the Commercial Crime Investigation Department.

“They should also check bank account numbers before making any transactions with unknown individuals through the online Semak Mule service, and download the Whoscall application to reduce the risk of fraud,” he said.

Victims are advised to immediately contact the National Scam Response Centre (NSRC) at 997 as an initial step to block the outflow of money from the suspect’s account, added Supt Yusof.