MOST Malaysians know to be wary of loan sharks, or "ah long" as they are known locally, and their aggressive tactics.
But a viral post on Threads has highlighted what appears to be a far more insidious approach: simply transferring money into someone's account without their knowledge and then showing up to collect, with interest.
It sounds almost too brazen to be real. Can loan sharks really trap you in debt just by depositing money into your account?
Verdict:
TRUE, BUT...
While no confirmed case has been officially reported yet, authorities and experts are warning Malaysians to take the threat seriously.
The alarm was raised after a Threads user known as syahierh posted that she had received RM1,296 in her bank account out of nowhere, with the sender listed as AIMY MERCHANT SERVICES SB and the transaction described as an IBG inward transfer.
"Help, what is this money? Does anyone know?" she wrote, alongside a screenshot of the transaction.
The post attracted more than 500 comments and was shared by over 800 users, with many speculating about the source of the funds.
Fact-checkers at MyCheck Malaysia investigated and found that AIMY MERCHANT SERVICES SB was a legitimate Bank Negara Malaysia regulated payment services company, formerly known as Alipay Malaysia Sdn Bhd, which allowed local merchants to receive payments through the Alipay digital ecosystem.
However, the identity of whoever actually sent the money remained unverifiable, as the transaction details only showed the entity used to transfer the funds and the method of transfer, not the original sender.
The original poster later updated her followers to say that even her bank was unable to confirm the source of the funds, and suggested she file a police report as a precaution.
MyCheck contacted Datuk Hishamuddin Hashim, secretary-general of the Malaysia International Humanitarian Organisation, or MHO, who handles cases involving illegal moneylending.
He said MHO had not yet received any formal complaints about this specific tactic but urged the public to remain vigilant.
"Illegal moneylenders currently have all sorts of tactics and ideas to scam people into taking loans without realising it, or they fabricate stories claiming you owe them money," Hishamuddin said.
"Even if the amount deposited is small, you still need to be careful. Scammers may deposit a small amount first, then contact you to manipulate you, so be on your guard," he added.
Hishamuddin advised anyone who found themselves in this situation not to panic and under no circumstances to use or transfer the money.
"If someone contacts you asking for the money back, do not return it to them directly as it may be a scam tactic to confuse the victim," he said.
"Inform your bank that you have received unidentified funds and ask for their advice. The bank can also investigate and manage the return if necessary. And do not forget to make a police report immediately," he added.
The Communications and Multimedia Commission, known as MCMC, also weighed in, warning that Malaysians who shared their bank account QR codes on social media were putting themselves at risk of becoming targets of exactly this kind of scheme.
"Remember, your account is entirely your responsibility. Never share or expose your bank account QR code on social media," MCMC said.
MyCheck noted that there were several innocent explanations for receiving unexpected money, including a mistaken transfer, a pending claim being processed or a sales commission from an online platform.
The key was to identify the source before touching the funds.
If the source could not be verified, the advice from both MHO and MyCheck was the same: do not use it, do not transfer it and report it to both the bank and police immediately.
Sources:
- https://mycheck.my/waspada-
terima-wang-secara-tiba-tiba- dalam-akaun-bank-ia-mungkin- taktik-along-perangkap-orang- ramai-buat-pinjaman-tanpa- rela/ - https://www.threads.com/@
syahierh_/post/DVsVmz3Ez8F? xmt= AQF0pO8PMu7xMXh2x29kPeUqfEOM47 So3ANznAjAvN8FBP3fGtv2IPZxC6Ja 0fmBM8IhDss - https://www.bnm.gov.my/-/
alipay-malaysia-sdn-bhd#:~: text=Navigation%20*% 20Announcements.%20*% 20Statistics.%20*% 20Regulations. - https://logmasuk.my/maksud-
ibg-transfer-interbank-giro/#: ~:text=IBG%20Transfer% 20mengambil%20masa%20satu, penerima%20pada%20hari% 20bekerja%20berikutnya. - https://www.instagram.com/p/
DVz3Z9eEr9f/ - https://www.facebook.com/
watch/?v=2109557266533314 - https://www.facebook.com/
amaranpenipuan/posts/ingat- akaun-anda-tanggungjawab-anda- sepenuhnya-jangan-sesekali- kongsi-atau-dedah/ 991661926487236/
