A male foreign tourist has issued a warning to others after falling victim to a street photographer scam near the Kuala Lumpur City Centre (KLCC).
According to the foreigner, he was approached by a street photographer offering to take his picture for RM5. However, after taking the photos, the photographer refused to send them unless more money was paid.
The tourist reluctantly handed over an additional RM20, but the photographer still deleted the original images after sending compressed versions via WhatsApp.
The photographer then demanded even more money, claiming it was for the photos themselves.
When the tourist threatened to report the incident to the police, the situation escalated into a physical altercation. Both parties ended up in a fight.
The story has since gone viral on Reddit, sparking outrage among netizens who condemned the scam and expressed frustration over the lack of enforcement.
@Far_Spare6201 commented, “I don’t condone violence, but I think I can make an exception for scammers like this who cause trouble.”
@Murky_Department added, “It’s already bad enough they’re scamming people. On top of that, WhatsApp compresses images, so you’re not even getting good quality. Better to just take photos yourself.”
@goldwave84 questioned, “Why doesn’t the government take action against these scammers who rip people off?”
@Primary-Big-2308 asked: “Are their photography skills even worth paying for? Can’t our phones already take great photos on their own?”
@rebelslash was puzzled by how the incident turned violent, saying: “Even if the tourist didn’t want to pay more, how did it lead to a fight? Did the photographer really push things that far?”
In response, Redditor @delicious_lemang noted that the video’s voiceover suggests the photographer kept demanding increasing amounts of money, with the situation quickly turning into what seemed like outright extortion.
The incident adds to growing concerns over tourist-targeting scams in popular areas, with many calling for stricter regulation and better enforcement to protect visitors and the country’s reputation.
