KUALA LUMPUR: A designer claims she was cheated of RM5,000 after falling for a RM20,000 survey bonus gift scam.
The victim, who wished to be known as Leong, said she was in a shopping mall here when she was approached by a man who introduced himself as Vincent.
Vincent requested her to fill up a survey form for which she will get a gift in return.
He also told her he was in a rush to get off early from work.
Leong agreed to help the scammer and followed him to a Japanese restaurant in the mall to fill up the survey form.
After she filled up the form, the scammer then introduced his friend and took a photo of her identification card with his handphone.
“After I filled in the form, they told me that they were part of a money-laundering business and that they would give me RM20,000 if I gave them RM10,000,“ she said in a press conference at the office of MCA Public Services and Complaints Department head Datuk Seri Michael Chong at Wisma MCA here.
Leong told them that she did not have that amount of money, and asked the scammer to call up her friend to borrow the money.
The scammer then told her that she could apply for a personal loan from a money lender which she declined.
“They said I wouldn’t be able to leave the mall if I didn’t pay them and that they would hurt me if I told anyone,“ she said.
She then borrowed an amount of money from her friend, after which the scammers took her to an ATM machine in the mall to withdraw the money.
It is learnt that after she paid RM5,000, she was harassed later that night and the day after by phone calls from the scammer who demanded the remaining payment.
Leong lodged a police report on Monday (Nov 12) and later filed a complaint to Chong’s office.
Chong added that he managed to call Vincent but Vincent rejected the call.
“I could not get through to him after that,“ Chong said, adding the public should be more cautious when approached for help by strangers.
