‘Scam groups are becoming more sophisticated. People need to stay alert and always double-check before transferring money or sharing sensitive information.’
GEORGE TOWN: While celebrating his birthday in the Maldives, consultant Baylon Tham was shocked to learn that a scammer had impersonated him to seek money from a female acquaintance.
The acquaintance, a reporter in her 50s, received a call on June 11 from a voice that sounded remarkably similar to that of Tham’s.
She realised it was a scam only after contacting a business associate travelling with the consultant to verify the request.
Tham said a scammer had impersonated him and claimed to the reporter that he had lost his wallet and phone at a food court and was therefore using a new number.
The scammer alleged that he had been unable to recover the items despite checking CCTV footage and making enquiries with stall operators, and asked the reporter to save the new number for future contact.
Rather than immediately asking for money, the scammer engaged in casual conversation.
He spoke about plans to open a Korean restaurant in Penang the following week, even extending an invitation to the opening.
He also downplayed the loss of cash, saying that there was only a few hundred ringgit in the missing wallet and that his bigger concern was getting the bank cards and identification documents replaced.
However, the following day, the scammer contacted the reporter again, this time sounding anxious and claiming to be facing an urgent financial problem.
He requested a loan, promising repayment later that day. When she refused, he pleaded that any amount would do before abruptly hanging up.
The confusion escalated when a photograph arrived from Tham’s original number to the reporter showing him holidaying in the Maldives with friends.
Initially suspecting that Tham’s phone had been hacked, the reporter contacted Tham’s business associate.
She then learnt that Tham, a Green Building Index consultant in Penang, was overseas celebrating his birthday and was completely unaware that someone had been impersonating him.
“If I had really lost my phone, I wouldn’t even remember most of my contacts’ phone numbers.
“Everything is stored in the phone,” Tham said, highlighting what he described as a flaw in the scammer’s story.
“No matter who it is, if money is involved, verify first,” he told theSun.
He said he regularly reminds elderly relatives not to panic when receiving calls involving emergencies or urgent requests for funds but to end the call and verify the information through a trusted contact.
One aspect that continues to puzzle Tham is how the scammer knew he was overseas.
He pointed out that unlike previous trips where he used an eSIM, he had purchased a local SIM card in the Maldives, leaving his Malaysian line active without realising it for several days.
“I travel quite frequently and share photos on social media,” he said, adding that he would continue posting photos as the updates reassure his elderly parents that he is safe.
“Scam groups are becoming more sophisticated. People need to stay alert and always double-check before transferring money or sharing sensitive information.”
Tham, whose company Conevo Green Consultancy, recently received recognition from the Malaysia Book of Records for achieving the highest number of GBI-certified projects in a year, said he was relieved no financial loss had occurred but admitted the incident shocked him greatly.
