JOHOR BARU: Bogus enforcement officers are extorting money from members of the public who have pirated audio-visual software in their possession.
Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry enforcement director Sulaiman Salam said the groups, operating in a duos, had been active over the past week.
Sulaiman said the cases were rampant in new villages in Gelang Patah here, Pekan Nanas (Pontian) and Batu Pahat.
“I stress that the ministry has never given instructions to enforcement units to conduct house to house checks for pirated items.
“Based on complaints, the conmen demanded the victims pay RM50 for possession of each pirated CD, VCD, CD-ROM and other pirated items or risk facing legal action,” he told reporters here yesterday.
He said that most victims paid the “fine”.
Those who come across the conmen were urged to contact the nearest police station, he said, adding the public should not allow suspicious or dubious characters to enter their homes.
“I urge the public to ask for authority cards to check whether they are genuine officers from the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry. The card will have the name of the officer, together with a passport-sized photograph and the ministry's logo.
“People should also take down the registration numbers of vehicles used by the conmen for police records,” he said.
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