Pilot, engineer, attorney, you name it! Malaysian conman Mohamad Faizul Baharudin successfully impersonated multiple people throughout his “career”, and he was finally nabbed by PDRM after the manhunt that began in 2018.
In case this sounds familiar to you, yes, it is very much like Frank Abagnale, a real-life character that was made popular by Leonardo DiCaprio’s stunning performance in 2002’s Catch Me If You Can, in which Tom Hanks also starred.
While America has Frank Abagnale, Malaysia has Faizul, who successfully (and convincingly) impersonated an Airbus Pilot, a Petronas engineer, a public prosecutor, and other job positions that don’t exist.
Throughout his years of deception, the 44-year-old conman has caused losses that are worth millions.
In a report by Berita Harian, Faizul has been living as a nomad and moved around a lot after successfully conning each victim who never had the slightest idea that Faizul was nothing but merely putting up an act.
“He is a smooth talker, and he’s smart in getting the victims to make a deal with him,” said PDRM’s Commercial Crime Investigation Department.
Faizul was recently charged at the Ipoh Magistrate Court and is currently being investigated under these Penal Code provisions:
- Section 170 (for impersonating a civil servant)
- Section 381 (theft)
- Section 420 (deceptions)
Faizul was previously arrested in Kuantan, Ipoh, and Johor, where he was caught for scams related to electrical products and transactions involving helicopter products.
Also read: “Just for a coffee” – Scammer Offers RM15K to M’sian Actress Just to Accompany a ‘Datuk’
