BUTTERWORTH: A factory worker lost RM40,000 in a loan scam she found in social media recently.
The 53-year-old saw an advertisement on Facebook and contacted the 'agent' to apply for a loan up to RM50,000.
However, instead of receiving money, she was instructed to transfer money to five different bank accounts given by the 'agent' for her loan to be secured.
She followed the instructions and transferred RM40,906 to those bank accounts.
She sensed that she had been cheated when the 'agent' asked for more money to be transferred and immediately lodged a police report.
Seberang Prai Utara district police chief Assistant Commissioner Noorzainy Mohd Noor confirmed a report on the matter.
"The public is advised to not fall for such online loan schemes offered in social media.
"The case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating," he said.
In a separate case, another factory worker reportedly lost RM8,000 to a Macau scam recently.
The 38-year-old man received a call, purportedly from the Labuan Court, asking him to attend a trial there.
The call was then transferred to a 'policemen' with the rank of a 'sergeant' who told him to surrender his bank details for investigations.
He was also told to inform the Transaction Authorisation Code (TAC) to the 'cops'.
Suspicious over the manner in which the case was handled, he proceeded to check his account and found that RM8,000 had been transferred to an unknown account.
"We are also investigating this case under Section 420," said Noorzainy, who confirmed the case.
