MUKAH: A trader suffered losses amounting to RM109,750 after falling victim to an online vehicle purchase scam, which allegedly occurred between April and June.
Mukah District Police Chief DSP Muhamad Rizal Alias said that the police received a report from the 48-year-old local man at around 11.30pm yesterday.
He said initial investigations revealed that the victim was attracted to a Facebook advertisement on April 9 offering a 2021 Toyota Alphard for RM133,000 by a company using the name "Savvy Auto" Kuala Lumpur.
"The victim then dealt with the suspect via the WhatsApp application and was asked to submit documents for a loan application.
"The suspect later informed him that the loan application had been approved, but the victim was instructed to make various payments purportedly for a deposit for Road Transport Department matters, SST tax, LHDN (Inland Revenue Board) tax, customs, credit score, refunds, ownership transfer letters, and loan cancellation," he said in a statement on Friday (June 26).
Muhamad Rizal said the victim made 22 payment transactions to several different bank accounts from April 9 to June 25, incurring a total loss of RM109,750.
He added that even after making the final payment of RM11,450, which was supposedly for the loan cancellation process, the suspect still demanded an additional payment of RM7,000 before the vehicle could be delivered.
"The victim finally realised he had been cheated when the promised vehicle was not received and the money he paid was not returned," he said.
According to him, the case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating.
In relation to this, he advised the public to check market prices and verify the legitimacy of sellers before making online vehicle purchases to avoid becoming scam victims. - Bernama
