IPOH: Some 48 police reports have been made over face mask scams online in Perak, says Supt Hasbullah Abd Rahman.
The state commercial crime chief said the total losses were estimated at RM39,322.
He said due to the high demand for face masks in view of the Covid-19 pandemic, unscrupulous parties were taking advantage of the situation to cheat people.
“All the cases reported are via online, where in desperation, people are willing to bank in money to get the items.
“It's only when the items don’t arrive that these 'customers' realise that they have been cheated, ” he said.
Supt Hasbullah advised people to be careful when purchasing items online.
“People should not be easily deceived with such online advertisements.
“Because many people are relying on online purchases, there are people taking advantage of the situation, ” he added.
The cases reported, he said, would be investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code.
