IPOH: A 67-year-old woman lost gold jewellery worth an estimated RM8,000 after being duped by a woman posing as a welfare worker at a hospital in Teluk Intan.
Perak police chief Comm Datuk Mohd Alwi Zainal Abidin said the incident occurred on June 29.
He said the suspect approached the victim while she was waiting for a medical check-up and introduced herself as a welfare worker.
Comm Mohd Alwi said the suspect allegedly offered the victim RM2,000 a month in welfare assistance.
“The suspect then claimed that the victim’s jewellery was needed as part of the application process for the welfare aid.
“Believing the claim, the victim handed over a gold necklace, a pair of gold earrings with a short chain, and three gold rings.
“The victim realised she had been cheated when the suspect failed to return and later lodged a police report,” he said in a statement on Sunday (July 5).
Comm Mohd Alwi said following investigations, a team from the Commercial Crime Investigation Division of the Hilir Perak district police headquarters arrested three suspects at an apartment in Semenyih, Selangor, at about 4.10pm on July 3.
He said the suspects, comprising two women and one man aged between 22 and 50, are related to one another as a mother and her two children.
“Police also recovered the victim’s jewellery, which had been sold by one of the suspects’ children to a pawnshop in Teluk Intan.
“In addition, officers seized clothing believed to have been worn by the suspects during the offence,” he added.
He said all three suspects have been remanded for four days until July 7 to assist in investigations.
The case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating, which carries a jail term of between one and 10 years upon conviction.
He advised the public not to easily trust unknown individuals who claim to be offering welfare assistance or request valuables or cash.
“Members of the public with information on similar scams are urged to report them to the nearest police station,” he said.
