KUALA LUMPUR: A 32-year-old salesman lost more than RM15,000 after falling for an online loan scam early last week.
The man, who only wanted to be known as Chong, applied for a RM30,000 loan from a website offering moneylending services to expand his online business.
He was told to submit documents, open a new bank account and make several payments to process the loan and meet the alleged Bank Negara requirements.
He was also instructed to open a new bank account.
Believing the scheme was legitimate, Chong made eight payments totalling RM15,480 to several local bank accounts between March 2 and March 5.
He was assured his payments would be refunded, together with the RM30,000 loan.
Three days later, Chong saw a cheque transaction of RM53,240 credited to his account, supposedly covering his refund and the loan.
However, the funds remained as a non-withdrawable “floating transaction”.
The same day, Chong applied for another RM1,000 loan but cancelled it hours later after growing suspicious.
Soon after, a loan shark identifying himself as Bryan transferred RM100 to Chong’s account and demanded RM1,000 the same day as “settlement” for cancelling the second loan.
He later threatened to raise the sum to RM20,000 if Chong failed to pay.
Chong said the loan shark then harassed him and his family through phone calls and messages.
He added that the man went to his friend’s house to take photographs as part of further threats.
Chong lodged two police reports and returned RM100 to the loan shark’s bank account, the same amount initially transferred to him.
In total, the scam cost him RM15,480.
On Tuesday (March 10), he brought his case to the MCA Public Services and Complaints Department.
At a press conference, the department's head, Datuk Seri Michael Chong, warned the public to beware of online loan scammers who prey on unsuspecting victims.
“If you need a loan, go to banks or licensed moneylenders. Do not trust such online offers,” he said.
At the same event, three families publicly disowned relatives who had borrowed from loan sharks and gone into hiding.
Michael Chong said Lee, a 53-year-old housewife, reported that her 24-year-old son, who habitually borrowed from loan sharks and relatives, had gone missing after taking loans totalling about RM300,000.
She said loan sharks constantly harass her family and demand repayment.
In another case, he said Chee, a 50-year-old administration personnel from Puchong who had not seen her 44-year-old brother for over a decade, was being harassed over loans taken by her sibling.
She said they threatened to burn down her house if she refused to take responsibility for her brother's loan.
In a third case, Michael Chong said Chan, a 72-year-old retiree from Tapah, Perak, was also being harassed over loans taken by his 33-year-old son, a civil servant in Kluang, Johor.
