Motorists, take note and always be on the alert for scammers!
According to The Star, it was reported that scammers have taken to the roads and are targeting motorists as they search for their next victim. Oh no!
Scammers have now come up with a new tactic of demanding money from their victims. They are usually spotted riding motorcycles trying to purposely hit your car and then claim it was your mistake. After that, they will also say that they sustained injuries while their vehicle got damaged so it would be a perfect excuse for them to demand money from you.
Source: the star
This was exactly what happened to Wong, 32, a saleswoman who was confronted with a scammer when she was on her way to a meeting last Friday morning (22 February).
“I was driving from Jalan Sultan Ismail towards Mid Valley (Megamall) along Jalan Kuching when I heard a thud.”
“I continued driving and when I stopped at a traffic jam, a motorcyclist waved at me and gestured that I had hit him.”
For illustration purposes only | source: expatgo
He told her that he wants to settle this matter among them and said he was going to report this as a working accident in order to get some Socso compensation. Besides, he had asked her to pretend to be his cousin, so that the company can claim back the money and pay it back to her, she told reporters at the MCA Public Services and Complaints Department on Thursday (27 February).
After that, the scammer rang up someone to get a quotation for the motorcycle’s accessories. He told Wong that it would cost around RM1,000 to repair the damage. At that time, Wong had insufficient cash with her. She handed him RM150 and informed him that she will give him the remaining money later.
Upon arriving at her meeting location, she then transferred the money to an account that doesn’t belong to the motorist. She felt curious and had asked him why he was using another person’s account, he explained that it was the account of the repairman. Strange!
For illustration purposes only | source: webmd
Around noon, he texted her claiming that his medical fees cost RM670 while his motorcycle repairs actually cost RM2,450. Hence, he needed an extra RM1,450 from her to compensate for his losses.
A girl later texted Wong saying that she had already received her bank details and promised to pay back the amount promised. Without suspecting anything, Wong banked in the money again.
For illustration purposes only | source: the star
“I banked in the cash in two transactions and then he contacted me again claiming that he needed another RM878 and RM300 banked into two separate bank accounts,” she added.
After some time, the man texted Wong again and this time he told her he wanted a sum of RM1,178. He told her that the company will pay her back in one lump sum. When Wong asked him for all the official receipts, he began giving lame excuses to her. However, Wong still banked in the cash thinking that he needed the funds urgently to repair his vehicle.
“I felt something fishy was going on and refused to answer his calls after this and I received a message asking for RM3,000 cash for the third time,” she said, adding that when she refused, the motorcyclist and another person had started threatening to viral the incident on social media and the news.
MCA Public Services and Complaints Department Head Datuk Seri Michael Chong said that he had received three other similar cases.
“Motorists should be aware that in case of an accident, they should go to the nearest police station and lodge a police report.
“If they are asking for compensation, tell them that once a police report is lodged, compensation claims would be dealt with by the insurance companies,” he added.
Have you ever experienced any similar incidents of scammers demanding money? Let us know in the comments section!
Also read: M’sian Had Bank Card With Her But Scammers Hacked Her Account via ATM & Stole RM30,000
