Woman duped by trio in welfare scam

SARIKEI: A senior citizen was made poorer by RM1,500 after surrendering her valuables to three strangers who had offered to help her register under the eKasih welfare assistance programme.

District police chief Supt Mat Jusoh Muhamad said the incident happened around 8.50am on Monday when two men and a woman approached the 60-yearold woman at the bus station here.

Telling her she could qualify for welfare assistance, the trio offered to help drive her to the District Office, located on the eighth floor of Wisma Jubli Mutiara, where she could register for the programme.

“Along the way to the District Office, the trio told her to leave all her personal belongings with them prior to entering the District Office in order to make her look ‘poor', thus making it more likely for her to be approved for the programme,” he said.

Without hesistating, Mat Jusoh said the woman took off her necklace and ring, and handed it over the trio along with a RM600 cheque, bank card and RM30.

After completing the registration process for the eKasih programme, the unsuspecting woman exited the building and, to her shock, failed to locate either the trio or their car.

“Realising then that she had been conned, she subsequently lodged a report at the police station here,” Mat Jusoh said, adding she had estimated her losses at RM1,530.