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AN elderly businessman in Pahang suffered substantial financial losses after responding to a fake job advertisement on Facebook on 28 August, according to local police.
The victim, aged 61, contacted a person posing as a representative of an e-commerce platform, who then sent him a counterfeit registration link to create a seller account.
Pahang Police Chief, Datuk Seri Yahaya Othman, explained that the victim was instructed to engage in part-time activities involving selecting products that were supposedly destined for the European market.
“The suspect informed him that he needed to cover the cost of the items upfront and that a 30 per cent commission would be paid for each product once delivered to customers,” he said on Sunday.
The victim made several staged payments to the suspect’s account for purchasing the products, with total transfers amounting to RM505,202.71.
However, he received only RM8,303.65 in initial profits through three early transactions.
Yahaya noted that the suspect continued to demand additional payments, allegedly to cover fees and to complete a fund release process before profits could be accessed.
“After making further payments, the expected profits never materialised, and the funds were not released. The victim then realised he had been defrauded, resulting in a total loss of RM496,899, which included his savings and Employees Provident Fund contributions,” he said.
The victim filed a police report at the Bentong District Police Headquarters on Saturday. The case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating.
Police have urged the public to exercise caution when responding to offers promising high returns or gifts.
Yahaya advised, “People are encouraged to verify accounts via the official portal [https://semakmule.rmp.gov.my](https://semakmule.rmp.gov.my) to identify any bank accounts with a history of fraud.
Anyone who suspects they have been targeted by a scam should immediately contact the National Scam Response Centre (NSRC) at 997.” - December 21, 2025