Clerk Scammed Out Of RM30,000 By 'Free Gift' Syndicate

KUALA TERENGGANU, Jan 6 (Bernama) -- A petrol station clerk was left devastated after losing her savings of RM30,000 to a syndicate that tricked her with a fake prize offer supposedly from Shopee on social media.

Kuala Terengganu district police chief ACP Azli Mohd Noor said the 26-year-old victim joined a Telegram group on Dec 19 that promised free gifts to its members.

He said the victim was required to complete several tasks, including making advance payments to certain merchants, to qualify for the promised rewards.

"Excited by the prospect of winning big prizes offered by the syndicate, the victim made five transactions totalling RM30,000 using her savings, including funds withdrawn from her Employees Provident Fund (EPF).

"The victim made three transactions to a bank account and two more via the BigPay app, as instructed by the suspect," he said when contacted today.

Azli added that the victim, who is from Marang, realised she had been scammed when the suspect continued to demand payments after the final transaction.

The victim lodged a police report yesterday evening, and the case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code, he said.

-- BERNAMA