KUALA LUMPUR: Five people alleged that a renovation company has cheated them out of more than RM1 million.
Nigel Ong, 37, a spokesman for the five victims, said the company seemed "professional and established" when they approached, but cut off communications when queried about the slow progress of work.
"We found out about the company through some online platforms and social media. And we came across their professionally designed website, with outstanding testimonials and picture of previous renovations, which made it seem believable.
"The company's boss was also very professional at the start, we even met face to face at the renovation site to discuss the designs. There was just so much professionalism and initiative from them that we did not see a scam was in motion.
"I was scammed out of more than RM100,000 and still couldn't believe that I was scammed. It was my hard-earned money. What was even outrageous was that the lady who liaised with me said the company's boss had died and then she blocked me (from contacting her) afterwards," he said, adding that he had lodged a police report but was not satisfied with the progress of investigations.
Ong was speaking at a press conference arranged by DAP vice-chairman and Seputeh member of parliament Teresa Kok.
He said he later found out that company's owner had been declared bankrupt and had used a fake name to set up a company.
Kok Cheng Soi, 45, and wife Tan Jo Lynn, 40, said they contacted the company to renovate their house and was asked to pay RM197,000 before work started.
"The company then called us to pay another 40 per cent (of the quoted amount) as they claimed to have completed half of the renovations. But when we went to the site, it was not even 50 per cent done.
"They said that they had bought raw materials for the renovation project, and even if renovations had only started, work was still considered done."
The couple said they were asked to pay the remaining amount for workers to continue renovations.
They refused to do so and asked the company owners to come the renovation site to clarify issues, but none turned up and could not be contacted, said Kok.
Another victim, Teo Kiat Hoo, 33, said he had paid 65 per cent of the quoted RM300,000 to an online platform.
He said work had started but it was slow and did not follow the timeline in the agreement.
"Only 15 per cent of the work had been completed and they breached the agreement by not following the timeline. Moreover, they also failed to follow my design," said Teo.
Ong said they had identified 60 victims of the company, and there were probably more who had yet to come foward.
He said a former worker of the company had informed him that the owner of the company had opened a new company and planned to continue the scam.
Seputeh MP Teresa Kok said people must be made aware that renovation scams like these were happening.
She hoped that police would take this issue seriously so that others did not become victims.
"I will write a letter to the inspector-general of police and the Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CID) to investigate and take action on this.
"The police need to take this matter seriously. This is really unfair to the victims to just ask them to go to the tribunal," said Kok.