Cops nab scammer who allegedly conned e-wallet providers

KUALA LUMPUR: Police have busted an alleged scammer who profited from identity theft and disputing payments for online purchases.

Sentul OCPD Asst Comm Beh Eng Lai told a press conference here on Wednesday (June 23) that the sole suspect, a 35-year-old man, was arrested in Sungai Buloh on June 18 after a report was lodged the same day.

“His modus operandi involved him retracting payments for online purchases once he had received the items.

"He would then sell the goods to other people at lower prices.

“Payments to his victims were normally via e-wallets which he would register with stolen identities that he obtained online.

"He would then tell the e-wallet providers that the sales were made without his knowledge,” ACP Beh said.

He added that the e-wallet companies involved met with the police over the matter and cooperated fully with the investigation.

Sources said the suspect learned his trade from friends in the United Kingdom and that he had been active since 2018.

“Investigations showed that he acted alone. We estimate losses from cases linked to him at around RM80,000.

“With his arrest we have solved at least six cases,” he said.

ACP Beh added that the suspect was also charged in court on Tuesday (June 22).