MUAR: An insurance agent hoping to increase her income took on a part-time online job, only to be cheated out of RM283,225 in a fake job scam.
The 42-year-old stumbled on the opportunity on social media and contacted the advertiser.
The part-time online position required her to download an application called Sands.
She was told to follow the instructions on the app and send her "employers" screenshots of the finished tasks.
She complied with the instructions and the app showed her remuneration.
Muar district police chief Assistant Commissioner Raiz Mukhliz Azman Aziz said the victim was cheated when she tried to withdraw her payments.
She was asked to make money transfers before she could withdraw the money she earned.
She made cash transfers to two bank accounts amounting to RM283,225.
She grew suspicious when her "employers" asked for further cash transfers, so she refused.
She realised she had been duped when her income was never paid, prompting her to lodge a police report yesterday.
Raiz Mukhliz said the case was classified as cheating under Section 420 of the Penal Code.
He advised the public to practice caution.
It was reported that scammers swindled 423 victims in Johor out of RM15.6 million last month, marking a 127 per cent surge in cases from the same period last year.