Be wary of cheats using finance minister’s name

PUTRAJAYA: The public is reminded to be alert following an online cheating case using the names of the Ministry of Finance ( MOF) and its minister Lim Guan Eng.

Lim Guan Eng’s press secretary Lutfi Hakim said the irresponsible quarters were detected using a document format and postal address which appeared ‘official’ to confuse the public and to cheat.

He said this was divulged when an individual from the Philippines had sent an email to the official address of MOF to get a confirmation whether a letter he received was genuinely issued by MOF.

He said the individual had received an e-mail from MOF’s e- mail address together with a letter dated March 4 which contained the signature of the Minister of Finance.

“The e- mail and letter contained information, namely, MOF had confirmed that a United Nation’s diplomat by the name of ‘ Bleck Dildrop’ has been authorised by the ministry to handle the individual’s transaction.

“The individual was told to make a payment of USD30,000 to the diplomat following which Bleck Dildrop would send a box to his address in the Philippines.” He said the letter contained Lim Guan Eng’s signature in his capacity as the Minister of Finance and a member of the “Government Secretariat Executive Council”.

According to Lutfi, MOF and Lim had never issued such a letter and had no knowledge of the box over which a payment of USD30,520 had to be made as stated in the letter.

The letter was fake and had been issued for purpose of cheating, he added.

Lutfi said a police report had been lodged at the Dang Wangi District Police Headquarters on the matter.

He advised the public to seek confirmation on any information on MOF through the official channel as found on the ministry’s official website at http://www.treasury. gov. my/. — Bernama