KUANTAN: All a 26-year-old insurance agent wanted was to apply for a job posted on Facebook but instead he received a strange request to provide his bank account details.
Unperturbed by the demand, the man obliged and the move proved costly as he ended up losing RM22,000 of his savings.
In the incident on Sept 17, the victim noticed a job vacancy post on Facebook and sent a message to a number written on the advertisement to gather details about the job.
Pahang Commercial Crime Investigation Department chief Superintendent Mohd Wazir Mohd Yusof said after some time, the victim received a text message requesting a copy of his MyKad and bank account details.
"The company claimed that the details were needed to process his application for the job. Later, the victim received a call from a man saying his bank account has been barred after investigations revealed it was used for gambling activities.
"The victim was told to pay RM22,000 so the bank account could be activated and he could secure the job. The victim made the first payment amounting RM1,000 on Sept 25 before paying another RM21,000 in the next few days," he said.
Wazir said the victim lodged a police report yesterday after he did not receive any further calls from the company regarding the job application and realised he was cheated by the company.
He said the case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating, which provides for a maximum jail term of 10 years and whipping, and a fine if convicted.