Over 100 housewives in Sarikei claim cheated by two women
SARIKEI: Over 100 housewives here claimed they have been cheated by two women in the pretence of seeking assistance to raise money to pay for the medical bills of their ailing family members.
The two women were said to have approached the unsuspecting victims separately between September and November last year seeking their sympathy by ‘selling’ the same story (raising money to pay for the medical bills).
Head of police’s Commercial Crime and Investigation Department Supt Mohd Firdaus Abdullah said they had received a total of 52 reports from the victims.
Although most of the victims were not financially well off, they felled victim to the scam simply because of their caring attitude, Firdaus said.
As a result, the complainants allowed the two women to use their names to borrow money from the money lenders.
“Based on our investigations and the figure on the loan repayment slips furnished by the complainants, their debt with the money lenders ranged from RM1,000 to RM8,000 . The overall debts exceed RM100,000,” Firdaus said.
The victims only realised they were cheated in November last
Based on our investigations and the figure on the loan repayment slips furnished by the complainants, their debt with the money lenders ranged from RM1,000 to RM8,000. The overall debts exceed RM100,000. Supt Mohd Firdaus Abdullah, head of police’s Commercial Crime and Investigation Department
year when the money lenders went after them to collect the monthly installment, Firdaus said.
He said the deal had been going smoothly and according to the arrangement as agreed upon by the two women and the victims.
The victims claimed that their names were only used to secure the loans whereas repayment by monthly installments was the responsibility of the two women, Firdaus said.
They had identified the two suspects who are locals and wellknown to all the victims, Firdaus said, adding, it was just a matter of time before they were brought to justice.
He added that the two suspects were most likely to be charged with cheating under Section 420 of the Penal Code read together with Section 34 of the same code which carries a jail term of one to 10 years and whipping upon conviction.
Firdaus, who is here to chair the state CCID senior officers’ quarterly meeting at the District Police Headquarters, said he was pleased to note that the case had been solved before it could spread to other towns.
He also advised the people to be wary of scams which came in various forms or styles and to always seek advice from reliable parties whenever they were approached by strangers or enticed with difficult-to-resist offer by certain parties.
District CCID heads and senior officers from throughout the state are attending the threeday meeting which started on Wednesday.
Among those present during the press conference were Deputy state CCID chief DSP Mustafa Kamal, Kuching District CCID chief ASP Dzulkarnaen, Sibu CCID chief ASP Undi Dian, Miri CCID chief ASP Sim Hock Chai, CCID Intelligence and Operation officer Inspector Pricha Azim and CCID Sarikei chief Inspector Sawandi Ibrahim.