Malaysians are advised to be cautious of calls or messages from phone number 011-23696711 as it has been linked to four scam cases involving a total loss of RM774,430.
According to Melaka Commercial Crime Investigation Department chief Supt E. Sundra Raja, the number was discovered by a website which was created by the government to help Malaysians from falling victims to such scams.
He said the number has yet to be recorded on the website, but was linked to a recent scam that involved a woman from Melaka who was cheated of RM96,930 after she started investing in a ‘private shipping company’ in June last year (2020), reported Bernama.
“The 47-year-old woman from Bukit Katil began dealing with the suspect through the phone and then WhatsApp via the numbers 011-23696711 and 011-26486178, in an investment scheme which offered lucrative returns in a period of two weeks,” he said.
“The victim was attracted to the offer and deposited RM96,930 as investment and fees including stamping charges into three bank accounts provided by the suspect between June last year and 25 January this year.”
Sundra Rajan added that the victim, who is a lemang trader, did not receive any returns promised to her after she made the payments. The suspect also kept on asking her for more money.
After realising she had been cheated, the victim stopped following the instructions given to her by the scammers. She then made a police report on 26 January.
Meanwhile, the case is being investigated according to Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating, which states that,
“Whoever cheats and thereby dishonestly induces the person deceived, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than one year and not more than 10 years and with whipping, and shall also be liable to fine.”
Sundra Rajan urged the public to be careful of investment schemes which promise unusually high returns and added that they should verify any phone number or bank account provided to avoid becoming a victim of scams.
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