Two men lose RM25,000 in used-car scams

MIRI: Two men lost a combined RM25,000 in separate used-car scams on Facebook after fraudsters allegedly posed as intermediaries and diverted payments into third-party bank accounts.

Police here said the victims, aged 41 and 45, had separately arranged to buy a Perodua Myvi and a Toyota Estima after coming across advertisements on the social media platform.

In the first case, a 41-year-old man was lured by an advertisement offering a black 2013 Perodua Myvi 1.3 Auto for RM4,500.

He contacted an individual using the name “AmahZahro” through WhatsApp and inspected the vehicle here before making three payments totalling RM6,000 into two bank accounts as instructed.

The deal unravelled when he discovered that the actual owner had not received the money and denied authorising anyone to act as an intermediary in the sale.

In the second case, a 45-year-old man lost RM19,000 while attempting to purchase a white Toyota Estima Aeras advertised for RM22,000.

After communicating with an individual identifying himself as “Ronald” through WhatsApp, the victim travelled to Batu Niah on Oct 7 to inspect and test-drive the vehicle.

Satisfied with the car, he made three payments totalling RM19,000 into a third-party bank account as instructed.

He later discovered that the owner had not received any money. He was also informed that the owner’s wife had been instructed by the individual to follow his directions.

When the victim tried to contact the individual again, the phone number was no longer reachable.

Both cases were reported to police on Oct 8 and are being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating.

Police said investigations are ongoing to identify those involved and trace the money transferred by the victims.

Prospective buyers are urged to deal directly with registered vehicle owners, verify ownership and ensure that payments were made to the rightful recipient.

They also warned against transferring money into third-party accounts and advised buyers to be wary of unusually cheap offers and unverified social media profiles.

Members of the public can check suspicious bank accounts and phone numbers through the Commercial Crime Investigation Division (CCID) Semak Mule portal before making payments.