Miri man loses nearly RM397,000 in online part-time job scam

File photo for illustration purposes only. Photo credit: BearyBoo from Pixabay

By DayakDaily Team

MIRI, June 1: A local man in his early 50s lost RM396,850 after falling victim to a non-existent online part-time job scam that promised lucrative returns through an e-commerce platform.

Miri District Police chief ACP Mohd Farhan Lee Abdullah said the Commercial Crime Investigation Division (BSJKD) of the Miri District Police Headquarters received a report on the case today.

According to him, the victim was approached via WhatsApp by an individual identifying himself as “Lim”, who offered an opportunity to earn income by managing customer purchase orders through an online platform.

“The victim was promised a commission of 10 per cent for every successful transaction completed.

“To participate in the scheme, the victim was required to make advance payments for each order, purportedly to enable a factory to process and deliver goods to customers,” he said in a statement.

Mohd Farhan said throughout his involvement in the scheme, the victim was instructed to make multiple payments into several different bank accounts.

Although profits were displayed in the system, the victim was never able to withdraw any earnings as he was continuously asked to make additional payments under various pretexts.

“As a result, the victim suffered losses amounting to RM396,850, involving his personal savings as well as money borrowed from family members,” he said.

The case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating.

Mohd Farhan said such scams commonly operate under the guise of “task scams”, “merchant scams” or “e-commerce scams”, where victims are persuaded to make repeated payments with promises of high returns.

“However, the profits displayed are merely figures generated within a system controlled by the syndicate and cannot actually be withdrawn by victims,” he said.

He advised the public to remain vigilant and not be easily convinced by online job, business or investment offers that promise high profits within a short period.

Members of the public are encouraged to verify suspicious phone numbers and bank accounts through the Royal Malaysia Police’s Semak Mule platform before carrying out any financial transactions.

Victims who have just transferred money to suspected scam accounts are also urged to immediately contact the National Scam Response Centre (NSRC) hotline at 997 to facilitate prompt action. — DayakDaily