Kota Kinabalu: An unemployed man was sentenced to four years’ jail and two strokes of the cane for cheating a woman of RM1,950 in a fake house rental deal advertised on Facebook.
Sessions Court Judge Amir Shah Amir Hassan handed down the sentence to Redzuan Sulaiman, 42, after he pleaded guilty to the charge.
Redzuan had deceived the 34-year-old victim by making her believe that he could provide a rented house, causing her to pay RM1,950 to him.
The offence was committed at a food court in Sembulan near here on July 1 this year.
The charge under Section 420 of the Penal Code carries a jail term of up to 10 years, whipping and a fine upon conviction.
Redzuan, who was unrepresented, pleaded for a lighter sentence.
However, Deputy Public Prosecutor Nurul Shafeerah Mad Iskim urged the court to impose a heavier sentence as a deterrent against online scams.
She said Redzuan had planned the scam by posting a fake rental advertisement on Facebook to target people searching for rental homes.
“Fake rental scams on social media are becoming increasingly common. A harsh punishment is needed to prevent others from committing similar offences,” she said.
The court heard that the victim contacted Redzuan after seeing a Facebook advertisement offering an apartment for rent.
At a meeting held at Grace Food Court in Sembulan on July 1 at 8.46pm, Redzuan claimed he was the owner of the property and the victim agreed to rent it.
The victim then handed over RM1,950 in cash to Redzuan on the same day.
Investigations later found that the apartment did not belong to Redzuan but was registered under another person’s name, resulting in the victim being deceived into paying for a non-existent rental arrangement.
