PETALING JAYA: When 32-year-old Iqa received a letter claiming she had defaulted on her car loan and ordering her to attend court or pay a specified amount, she was stunned.
The letter contained her personal details, but she knew something was wrong as she had never missed a repayment.
Her family members also received text messages that appeared to be official notifications about the supposed arrears.
What unsettled Iqa more was that a copy of the letter was also sent to her neighbour, making the claims appear genuine.
For the private sector worker, the incident has raised a deeper concern – whether the allegations were genuine and how much of her personal information had already fallen into the hands of strangers.
“It is already frightening that they have our personal details. What is even more worrying is that they know who our family members are and are targeting them as well,” she said.
Although she initially panicked, Iqa sought advice from family and friends, who urged her not to respond or make any payment. She lodged a police report and alerted the authorities. In doing so, she managed to avoid financial loss.
Her experience is not unique.
In Sarawak, another victim received what appeared to be a court-issued “Judgment in Default” by registered post.
The document was later confirmed to be fake, highlighting how fraud syndicates are using convincing legal documents to deceive unsuspecting victims.
Criminal lawyer Datuk N. Sivananthan welcomed the judiciary’s new QR code verification system, saying it would make it more difficult for scammers to pass off forged court documents as genuine.
“In this day of deepfakes, if fraudsters can reproduce videos and voices that fool even those closest to a person, imagine how easy it is to produce fake documents.
“The QR system will definitely help, but the verification system must be user friendly and there must be sufficient dissemination of information to the public as to how to use it.”
He also called for dedicated verification channels, such as a hotline, WhatsApp number or e-mail address, to allow the public to quickly confirm whether court documents are authentic.
Lawyer Zander Lim said forged legal documents had become increasingly sophisticated and were often used to mislead individuals, businesses and financial institutions into believing legal proceedings or court orders existed when they did not.
“We have observed an increasing level of sophistication in the production of forged documents.”
Lim said one of the most reliable ways to verify court documents is by checking the QR code generated through the court’s e-Filing System (eFS).
“If a document does not contain a valid QR code, or the QR code cannot be verified, it should be treated with caution and independently verified before any action is taken,” he said.
Criminologist and Enforcement, Leadership, and Management University (ELMU) senior lecturer Dr Shankar Durairaja said the QR code system would strengthen safeguards by allowing users to verify court documents against official databases.
However, he cautioned that it would not eliminate every threat, particularly scams involving fake QR codes embedded in unsolicited text messages or e-mails that redirect victims to phishing websites.
“The most important step is not to panic or act impulsively. A demand for immediate payment, particularly without any prior notice or established legal communication, should itself be treated as a significant red flag of a potential scam,” he said.
