Woman trader loses RM4,700 after downloading cleaning service app

MELAKA: A woman trader lost RM4,700 when her money in a bank account disappeared after downloading an 'android package kit' (APK) file to order cleaning services.

Melaka police chief Datuk Zainol Samah said in Sunday's (July 17) incident, the 46-year-old victim was attracted by an advertisement offering house cleaning service at RM50 for five hours on Facebook.

"The victim, from Kuala Sungai Baru, had dealt with a suspect who introduced herself as Fiona and was instructed to download the 'shinecleanmaid' application via the link provided by the suspect to make the booking.

"The woman then downloaded the application and filled in the booking and account and made an advance payment of RM10," he said in a statement here on Monday (July 18).

Commenting further, Zainol said however, the payment transaction was not successful and the victim was instructed to pay in cash after the cleaning service was done.

He said after 30 minutes, the victim received a message from the bank informing that there was a transfer of RM4,7000 from the complainant's account to a third party's account without her knowledge and she then contacted the bank that her account could have been hacked.

"The victim lodged a report on Sunday at the Kuala Sungai Baru police station and the case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating," he said.

Zainol said so far the Melaka Contingent had only received one case involving the modus operandi of file hacking and advised the public to be careful with offers over social media and not to fill in personal details through links provided by unknown parties.

He said members of the public are advised to check unknown account and telephone numbers through the website http://ccid.rmp.gov.my/semakmule or download the 'check CCID mule' application.

"As a precautionary measure, people are asked not to easily believe advertisements on social media, and not to download and install APKs sent directly to the phone by unknown individuals," he said. - Bernam