Man duped in Facebook car sale

BINTULU: An offshore worker has fallen to victim to an online car sales scam that left him RM350,000 poorer.

The incident happened on May 26 when the man in his mid-40s, came across a Facebook advertisement offering a Suzuki Jimny at a seemingly enticing price of RM40,000.

Sarawak Police Commissioner Datuk Mancha Ata said the interested victim then initiated contact with a purported car sales agent named Tan Fu Long via WhatsApp to negotiate the purchase of the vehicle.

“Regrettably, without conducting due diligence, the victim transferred RM350,000 into 17 different bank accounts via 76 transactions from early September to early November.

“The unfortunate realisation dawned upon the victim when attempts to reach the purported sales agent proved futile, and the promised four-wheel-drive (4WD) vehicle failed to materialise,” he said.

Following that, the victim reported the incident to the police on Monday (Nov 20) and the case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating and dishonestly inducing the delivery of property.

Mancha then cautioned the public against falling prey to similar scams.

He urged individuals, especially those on social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Wechat, Twitter, and others, to exercise vigilance when encountering online advertisements and purported agents.

“People should not take online purchases lightly and must be cautious to avoid becoming victims of fraud,” he said.