KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 2 — Three local men have become victims of the so-called Skim Bantuan Khas COVID-19, believed to be the latest cheating modus operandi that occurred late last month.
Kuala Lumpur police chief, Datuk Azmi Abu Kassim said the victims aged 26 to 48, received a message via SMS offering them a special assistance of RM500 to be credited into their bank accounts after filling their personal details through the link given.
“However, having done that, they found reduced balances in their respective bank accounts, with the losses totalling RM4,550,” he said in a statement today.
He added that the Bukit Aman Commercial Crime Investigation Department received a report each from the three victims on the incidents that happened between July 28 and 30, with the cases being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating.
Azmi said the Health Ministry also informed that it had never sent any message on providing the (COVID-19) financial assistance.
“Hence, the public is advised to serve the MySejahtera Twitter page for confirmation on the aid scheme or to check directly with the ministry or agency concerned.
“To avoid being cheated, the public is also advised not to upload anything of which its authenticity has not been verified and never to divulge personal details to a third party,” said Azmi.
Meanwhile, in Petaling Jaya, a female accounts executive lost RM428,000 after becoming a victim of a love scam of a local man claiming to be a petroleum engineer and owner of a company in Singapore.
Petaling Jaya district police chief, ACP Mohamad Fakhrudin Abdul Hamid said the 41-year-old victim got to know the suspect in August 2021 via Facebook before continuing to communicate with him through WhatsApp with the suspect using an international phone number.
“Last October, the victim was duped into believing that the suspect’s company was having financial problems before transferring RM5,000 into a bank account believed to belong to the suspect’s lawyer.
“Throughout the relationship, the victim made 47 transactions to four different bank accounts and then realised that she had been cheated after telling her family about the matter. The victim lodged a police report yesterday,” he said in a statement today.
Mohamad Fakhrudin advised the public to be careful about getting to know individuals via online and not to fall for sweet promises made by their cyberspace ‘friends’.
