Cops hunt ‘assemblyman’ in computer con

 

Johor Commercial Crime Investigation Department chief Mohd Salleh Abdullah has advised people to check before lending money to anyone who make appeals on social media. (Facebook pic)

JOHOR BAHRU: Police here are tracking an individual who is posing as an assemblyman on WhatsApp to collect money from the public, which he claimed was to provide computers for schoolchildren.

The state’s Commercial Crime Investigation Department director Mohd Salleh Abdullah said police started investigating the case after a report was lodged last night by a 55-year-old victim.

Mohd Salleh said the “assemblyman” had initially asked the victim to loan him RM1,350 to help provide computers to a school in his constituency and for the money to be banked into an account belonging to a “Marlon Taib”.

The victim was also told that his money would be returned.

“The suspect later asked the victim to bank in an additional RM3,500 to the same account,” he said in a statement.

Mohd Salleh said that when the suspect asked for yet another RM1,500, the victim realised something was amiss. He tried to reach the “aasemblyman” and found that he could not be reached. He also had failed to repay the initial sum loaned.

Mohd Salleh advised people to vet details thoroughly, including cross-checking with the relevant agencies, when they come across such appeals.

“Meet those who want to borrow money and don’t blindly follow instructions given on WhatsApp or other social media.”

It was previously reported that several assemblymen and state leaders had fallen victim to such scams and had lodged police reports after their details and photographs were used by scammers. - FMT