JOHOR BARU: Two food and catering operators lost RM8,800 after being scammed by an offer to supply food and goodies using the name of the Johor police contingent headquarters.
Johor police chief Comm Datuk Ab Rahaman Arsad said the victims, a 51-year-old local man and a 35-year-old local woman, suffered losses of RM3,800 and RM5,000 respectively.
“In both incidents, the victims received phone calls through WhatsApp from individuals claiming to be from the headquarters and seeking their services to supply food for events scheduled on Jan 26.
“They were also asked to provide goodies and were directed to liaise with suppliers appointed by the suspects,” he said in a statement on Tuesday (Jan 27).
He added that both victims believed the offer was genuine, as they were provided with copies of official-looking government-issued documents as proof.
“After trusting the offer, they prepared packed food and made payments for the goodies to the bank accounts provided by the suspects.
“Both of them realised they had been scammed when they arrived at the headquarters and were informed that no such orders had been made, and the suspects could not be contacted.
“The documents provided by the suspects were also found to be fake and were not issued by our office,” he said.
Comm Ab Rahaman said the case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating, which carries a punishment of imprisonment of not less than one year and not more than 10 years, whipping and a possible fine.
“I deny that any government order was issued as claimed by the victims.
“I advise the public to be more vigilant and not be easily deceived by any offers to supply food and goodies received through phone calls or social media,” he said.
He also urged the public to always verify through official agency channels before trusting any such offers and making payments to the accounts provided.
“The public is encouraged to use the verification services provided and obtain updated information on commercial crime modus operandi through the official social media channels of the Commercial Crime Investigation department on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok,” he said.
