Cops nab man for scamming fresh graduate with job prospects

IPOH: A 27-year-old man was detained for allegedly scamming a fresh graduate on social media by promising him job prospects in Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) and government departments.

The suspect, believed to be involved in eight other similar cases throughout Malaysia was detained Wednesday at 5pm by the police when he was walking along the roadside in Pekan Baru here.

State Commercial Crime chief Supt Maszely Minhad said the suspect had duped the 22-year-old male graduate on Sept 12 by using a Facebook account under the name Daniel Ipoh.

"The suspect pretended to be a KLIA officer and convinced the victim that he was able to offer him job opportunities in Malaysia Airlines (MAS) and Singapore International Airlines (SIA).

"He then asked the victim to transfer RM1,300 into his bank account to secure the job opportunity, in which the victim did so," he told a press conference on Thursday.

He added that the suspect later told the victim to contact a certain "Datuk" Siva about the job, which was also an identity impersonated by the suspect.

"After the victim had contacted him on Whatsapp, he later told the victim to transfer another RM1,300 into the same bank account.

"It was only after that the victim started to feel suspicious of this, and lodged a police report on Sept 14," said Supt Maszely.

Upon detaining the suspect, he said the police had seized a Samsung handphone and five automated teller machines (ATM) cards, of which two of them are from Maybank, two from CIMB, and one from Bank Simpanan Nasional.

"One of the cards have been confirmed as the same account that was used to receive the RM1,300 transferred by the victim," he said, adding that the suspect will be remanded for four days and the case was being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code.