SEREMBAN -A special assistant to a state assemblyman lost nearly RM10,000 in a moneylending scam in Bahau, Jempol, near here, on Tuesday.
Jempol district police chief, Supt Hoo Chang Hook said the 52-year-old man claimed he saw an advertisement on Instagram offering loans before he contacted two agents known as Tony and Daniel Heng through WhatsApp to facilitate the loan.
According to Hoo, the victim who was believed having financial problems, applied for the loan.
"However, the victim was asked to pay a sum of money as he did not actually qualify for a loan due to his bank account ‘scoring’ while the sum was also for the transaction and tax in order for the loan to be approved.
"Convinced that the transaction would proceed, the victim made six payments amounting to RM9,345.92 into three different bank accounts," said Hoo in a statement, here, today.
Hoo said the victim only realised that he had been cheated when the agents kept asking for additional payments for the loan to be approved. The victim lodged a police report yesterday.
On a separate case, Hoo said an 18-year-old female student was cheated of RM1,950 when she made an online payment for a laptop which she had not received after making two payments on Feb 3 and 9.
He said the girl then realised that she had been duped and made a police report yesterday. The case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code. - BERNAMA