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

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By Tedong Rantayy

MIRI, Aug 2: A local woman in her 40s, a worker of a private company in Miri, has fallen victim to an e-commerce scam, losing RM9,200 in the process.

Miri District Police Chief ACP Alexson Aga Chabu, confirmed that the Miri District Commercial Crime Investigation Department received a police report on Aug 1 regarding the case.

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The scam involved the victim making an online purchase of a cat through a WhatsApp group.

The victim was persuaded by the suspect to make several payments to secure the pet.

Over the course of five transactions, she transferred RM9,200 to a third-party bank account provided by the suspect.

Despite making these payments, the promised pet was never delivered, and the suspect continued to demand additional payments for various fabricated reasons.

The case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code, which carries a penalty of imprisonment for not less than one year and not more than ten years, as well as whipping and a fine if convicted.

Police are urging the public to be cautious when making online purchases, particularly through social media platforms and unsecured channels. — DayakDaily