AT THE end of April, WhatsApp messages were sent out from an account with a profile photo of Johor Baru Mayor Datuk Noorazam Osman - and also his name - to ask people for money. Is this account valid?
VERDICT:
FALSE
It has been confirmed that the account, which misuses Noorazam's appearance and personal information, is not legitimate.
In a statement posted on the official Johor Baru City Council's Facebook page, the municipal authority said it had detected that scammers were impersonating the Johor Baru mayor on WhatsApp to send messages to people to ask for money.
“The Council advises people to be vigilant and to not be fooled by the false account, as it is a tactic of scammers to use such fake accounts to cheat and confuse people,” it said.
The Council added that if people receive any suspicious messages, they can lodge a police report or check the validity of the number by going to the police's Commercial Crime's Investigation Department page at semakmule.rmp.gov.my.
