When was the last time you checked to see if the change you received from the cashier was real or fake?
Some would if there were something obviously off about them, but most would just stuff the money in their wallets without batting an eyelid.
@aliffshamrazali shared on Twitter about how he got scammed with counterfeit money after selling his iPhone to an anonymous buyer.
Kisah sedih ringkas
Aku jual Phone rm2k yang aku dapat duit palsu. Hati hati guys duit palsu jaman now tak macam dulu dulu dah.
Allah tahu yang terbaik
Moga aliff murah rezeki
Amin pic.twitter.com/0X0Yrtzl4O— اليفف شام غزالي (@aliffshamrazali) July 18, 2019
He writes how he basically got his iPhone stolen from him after selling it for fake money that totalled up to RM2,000.
“This is a short but sad story. I sold my iPhone for RM2k but received counterfeit money in return. Be extra careful everyone, counterfeit money today is not what it was like back then.”
He included a photo of the counterfeit money which bore identical serial numbers on the top section of the 100 ringgit note (BN256990 and CGB 11890).
Here was his entire ordeal:
He had found a buyer on Mudah.my, and they agreed to meet at Bandar Damansara MRT station. However, he turned up almost 2 hours late and blamed it on a sick child. And when he arrived, he wanted to inspect the phone in a dark staircase.
Aliff only realised that the money was fake after the ATM did not accept the banknotes he tried to deposit.
“I checked with the bank officer at the time, and the person told me that the money was fake. It was then when I wanted to faint realising my phone was gone.”
Aliff then went to IPD Alam Damai where his case was referred to the Jabatan Siasatan Jenayah Komersil (JSJK) IPD Brickfields.
“According to the police, the quality of counterfeit money nowadays is not what it used to be as the quality is nearing genuine money.”
Aliff congratulated the police for their swift work and said that the culprit is now being tracked down.
One reply gave pointers on how to avoid scammers who prey on unsuspecting sellers. @seghoo urged sellers to visit ccid.rmp.gov.my/semakmule/ to check if they’re chatting with a known scammer.
— Na (@seghooo) 20 July 2019
The website developed by JSJK of the Royal Malaysia Police allows sellers to key in bank details and identify whether the seller has had bouts with the police.
With over 2 million searches to date, it seems that most online sellers are especially cautious nowadays.
We sincerely hope that this and other scammers be brought to justice!
Also read: Man Warns Everyone of Dangerous Scammers Who Threaten to Tow Your Car Away in KL