Jobless woman loses savings to scammer

KULAI: A 27-year-old unemployed woman lost five years of her hardearned savings after falling prey to a scam here.

The former sales executive, who only wanted to be known as Tay, said she was duped into parting with RM10,000 by a scammer who claimed he could offer her a personal loan.

“I found the company from the Internet as I was looking for a way to get a loan to pay for my 68-yearold father’s medical fees.

“The company claimed to be a licensed credit firm and could provide me with a loan up to RM100,000.

“They said they would first bank in RM500 to my bank account but I had to repay the money immediately to show that I am capable of servicing the loan.

“They also said I had to pay RM1,500 for lawyer and processing fees.

“Upon receiving the RM500, I transferred RM2,000 back into the account. Then they told me I owed the Inland Revenue Board (IRB) RM8,000,” she said here yesterday.

She said they told her they couldn’t give her the loan until she settled their dues with IRB and offered to make the payment through their resources at the board if she could deposit the RM8,000.

“I paid them twice. First, I deposited RM5,000 on Feb 1 and another RM3,000 the next day.

“I called to tell them I had remitted the money but then they told me to pay yet another RM5,000 for insurance. I instantly realised I had been conned,” she said.

Senai assemblyman Tee Boon Tsong said there had been an increase in the number of such cases reported to them since the MCO started last year.

“Previously, we received one case every three to four months but now we get at least three cases a month,” he said.

I remitted the money but then they told me to pay yet another RM5,000.

Tay