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A 28-YEAR-OLD housewife from Kuala Terengganu has been left reeling from financial losses exceeding RM70,000 after falling prey to an online scam syndicate, forcing her to borrow from family members to cover the debt.
Kuala Terengganu district police chief, Assistant Commissioner Azli Mohd Noor, said the victim lodged a police report at the local station on Monday afternoon.
The incident began on 2 January when the woman received a phone call from an unknown individual claiming to represent e-commerce platform Shopee.
The caller offered to deliver a purported gift before presenting the victim with an online part-time job.
“Enticed by the syndicate’s deception, the victim agreed to the offer that was presented,” Azli said.
“The victim was then instructed to make payments in order to carry out the job offered and subsequently made seven transactions to several different bank accounts,” he added.
After completing the payments, the victim realised she had been defrauded and promptly reported the matter to the police. The case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating. Azli said the funds involved came from the victim’s personal savings as well as loans from close family members, resulting in total losses of RM70,731.
Meanwhile, in Alor Setar, a 54-year-old retired engineer experienced a similar ordeal, losing over RM108,000 to a scammer claiming to assist victims of earlier scams.
Deputy Superintendent Jasmani Sabrini, acting head of the Kedah Commercial Crime Investigation Department, said the victim had responded to a Facebook advertisement on 16 May last year that read, “If you are a scam victim, please contact us.”
“After clicking the advertisement, the complainant was directed to a WhatsApp application and asked to provide personal details for an application. Before the application could be processed, the victim was instructed to make an advance payment to open a file,” Jasmani explained.
The victim made multiple online transfers to several bank accounts between 28 May and 18 June, totalling eight transactions to different individuals and companies. The total financial loss amounted to RM108,001.
“Even at the time of reporting, the perpetrators were still requesting additional payments under the pretext of recovering the victim’s funds,” Jasmani said.
He added that the victim had previously fallen prey to scams, with three prior investigations opened in Sungai Petani and Padang Serai, Kulim, relating to non-existent loans.
Police are urging the public not to be deceived by online advertisements claiming to recover money from scammers and to verify any suspicious transactions with local authorities. Checks can also be made through the Semak Mule application, the JSJK PDRM Facebook page, or by contacting the National Scam Response Centre at 997.
These incidents highlight the growing sophistication of online scams in Malaysia, where perpetrators exploit victims’ trust and desperation, resulting in severe financial and emotional consequences. - January 14, 2026
