Shop assistant loses RM17,000 in loan scam

KUANTAN: When a shop assistant suspected she was being scammed by an online loan syndicate, the 29-year-old called to cancel the loan. However, the syndicate told her the deal was genuine by depositing cash into her bank account, which convinced her she would receive the RM30,000 that she wanted to borrow. The victim realised she was cheated when she ended up paying RM32,000 while syndicate members deposited only RM15,500 into her account. The incident unfolded on Nov 1 when she received a phone call from a man who identified himself as “Tony” who sweet-talked her into taking a loan from his agency. When the victim agreed to borrow RM30,000, she was told to pay processing fees and various other fees in stages. When Tony requested further payments, the victim realised she had been scammed. She had lost RM17,000 to the syndicate compared with the amount she had received (RM15,500). Pahang Commercial Crime Investigation Department chief Superintendent Mohd Wazir Mohd Yusof said investigations were ongoing.