Security guard duped by fake Honda HR-V giveaway, loses RM1,300

MUKAH: A fake online contest promising a Honda HR-V and RM100,000 in cash cost a 61-year-old security guard RM1,300, with scammers demanding more money before he realised he had been cheated.

Mukah police chief DSP Muhamad Rizal Alias said the victim stumbled upon the Facebook advertisement on Oct 9 and followed a link to participate in the contest.

The local man, who works as a security guard for a construction company, was later contacted through WhatsApp and told he had won a Honda HR-V.

“To claim his supposed prize, he was asked to submit photos of his identification card and house, ostensibly to arrange delivery.

“He was then told to pay RM1,300 in delivery charges, which he transferred in three instalments between Oct 10 and 13.

“The scammers later demanded another RM1,500, claiming the additional payment was needed to cover rising fuel costs for delivering the prize,” he said.

Suspicious of the repeated demands, the victim realised he might have fallen for a scam and lodged a police report yesterday (Oct 14).

Rizal said the case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating and dishonestly inducing the delivery of property.

Checks through the Centralised Check and Investigation System (CCIS) also found no records linked to the phone number and bank account used in the transactions.

Members of the public are reminded to be wary of contest advertisements and prize offers that appear too good to be true, especially those circulated on social media and messaging applications.

They are also urged not to make payments, disclose personal information or click suspicious links without verifying the legitimacy of the offers.