SIBU: A shop assistant in his 50s has fallen victim to an online job scam, suffering a loss of RM140,880 after being deceived by a fraudulent part-time job offer.
Sibu OCPD Asst Comm Zulkipli Suhaili, said that the Sibu district police headquarters Commercial Crime Investigation Department received a police report regarding the case on March 5.
"The victim was browsing his Facebook account on Dec 22 last year when he was attracted by an advertisement which offered part-time work.
"He was approached by a woman introducing herself as 'Wang Yee Yao' via the Messenger application.
"The suspect offered him a part-time job involving the sale of handbags, clothing, and shoes on the social media platform TikTok, promising commissions of up to 30%," said ACP Zulkipli in a statement on Thursday (March 6).
Attracted by the offer, the victim clicked on a link to begin the assignment and was instructed to make advance payments into a bank account provided by the suspect.
He added that between Dec 22, 2024, and Feb 24, 2025, the victim transferred funds a total of 23 times, amounting to RM140,880, into 17 different local bank accounts.
The scam was uncovered when the victim attempted to withdraw his earnings on Feb 25, 2025.
The suspect claimed that the victim’s account was "frozen" and demanded an additional RM3,000 to release the funds.
Suspecting fraud, the victim refused and subsequently lodged a police report.
ACP Zulkipli Suhaili urged the public to remain vigilant against such scams, advising individuals to verify job offers thoroughly before making any financial transactions.
“The public is reminded not to be easily deceived by online job offers that require advance payments. If in doubt, always check with the authorities before proceeding,” he said.
The case is now being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating
