Michael Chong shares experience of almost being scammed, urges the public to be cautious

KUALA LUMPUR: Be cautious when dealing with anyone claiming to be government or law enforcement personnel through telephone calls or messages, says Datuk Seri Michael Chong.

The MCA Public Services and Complaints Department head also shared his experience nearly being cheated out of RM1,000 by a man who claimed to be a policeman.

Recalling the incident, Chong said he had just woken up on on that morning when he realised there was a voice message left for him on his mobile phone.

"The voice on the other end was a man who claimed to be a policeman from the Selangor police headquarters.

"He told me to call him back once I received the message and I did exactly that," he told reporters at the MCA Public Services and Complaints Department on Friday (March 24).

With him was Kelab Rela Kehormat / Bersekutu Wilayah Persekutuan chairman Datuk Seri KK Chai and its treasurer Serena How.

Chong said the man claimed to be an "Asst Comm Zamri" and asked for a donation for an event held at the police headquarters.

"He sounded like a policeman so I naturally obliged and told him that I could make a RM1,000 donation in my capacity at Rela Bersekutu and asked him for all the relevant details.

"The man then sent over a letter with the police emblem, asking for funds for the 216th Police Day celebrations there," he said adding that he passed on the particulars to How.

He said the man also passed on several banking receipts to show proof that others had also made donations but How noticed the donations were made to a "Stelastilitto Enterprise" and not the police official account.

"I then asked the man for further details and I also asked if he was trying to scam me.

"The man then deleted all the previous messages and stopped responding to me," he said.

Chong said although he was aware of such scams, the man on the other end of the phone was quite convincing and sounded like a policeman.

He said he contacted the Selangor police headquarters to enquire if there was an "ACP Zamri" working there and it was only then that he was told that there was no such person and that it was possibly a scam.

He advised the public to be cautious as no one knows who exactly is on the other end of the telephone line.

"If in doubt, always contact the relevant agency and check if there is such a person working there," he said.