Syndicates employ fake Thai ‘sifu’ in 4D scam
Facebook accounts with pictures of temples used to advertise service
JOHOR BARU: Syndicates are using religious elements and fake Thai masters promising 4D wins to reel in their victims.
Using Facebook accounts with pictures of temples, these syndicates would advertise services to help victims turn their luck around and win lotteries.
MCA Public Services and Complaints Bureau national chief Datuk Jason Teoh said those who fall prey to such scams were mostly from the middleaged group.
Teoh said these cases were quite rampant, especially in the northern part of Peninsular Malaysia, but while he had received complaints from the victims, not many were willing to come forward to lodge reports or pursue the matter.
“Everything is done through the phone. A person claiming to be an assistant to a sifu (master) will ask for the victims’ date and time of birth as well as their financial background.
“This is for their fortune to be read,” he said in an interview.
The assistant, added Teoh, would then instruct the victims to pay RM88 to RM100 for the sifu to “perform rituals to unlock their wealth potential”.
“The assistant would tell the victims more money was needed to refer them to his Thai master, who supposedly is more ‘powerful’ to help them strike 4D,” he said.
A small amount of money was asked first, said Teoh, to avoid alarming the victims.
It was recently reported that a 43yearold construction worker lost RM2,000 after twice falling prey to online scams promising him lucky 4D numbers that would win him millions of ringgit.
“The public should avoid clicking on such pages or links at all costs,” said Teoh.