JOHOR BARU: A beautician's dream of starting her own business was shattered when over RM150,000 of her savings was lost to a non-existent loan scam.
Seri Alam district police chief Superintendent Mohd Sohaimi Ishak said police received a report on Nov 20 from the victim, a 38-year-old local woman.
He said the victim claimed to have been deceived by an online loan syndicate offering non-existent loans.
"On Nov 11 when the victim saw an advertisement for a loan on Facebook, using the name and logo of a local bank.
"Interested in starting her own business, the victim contacted the loan representative via WhatsApp and was given further details on the loan terms.
"The victim was promised an easy process and immediate approval, on the condition that she made several advance payments," he said in a media statement today.
According to Mohd Sohaimi, the victim agreed to take out a loan of RM300,000 and followed the suspect's instructions, making 18 payment transactions from Nov 16 to 20 to 14 different bank accounts, totalling RM156,468.
However, he said, the promised loan was never received, and the suspect continued to demand additional payments for various reasons.
"The victim, growing suspicious, checked with the bank and was informed that the loan was non-existent," he added.
Mohd Sohaimi said the case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating, and the investigation will also cover any involvement of mule accounts, with actions to be taken against the account holders involved.
At the same time, Mohd Sohaimi advised the public to be more cautious and not easily trust any online loan offers that promise easy and fast processes.
"Always verify with the relevant agencies before making any payment transactions to other parties," he stressed.