JOHOR BARU, Aug 25 — A businessman who had plans to develop a sugarcane plantation project was cheated out of RM357,000 in a land lease scam here recently.
Johor Commercial Crime Investigation Department Assistant Commissioner Mohd Salleh Abdullah said victim, who is in his 50s, had wanted to lease 100 hectares of agricultural land in the state for the project.
He said the victim was initially looking for land to start his sugarcane plantation project since December last year.
“The victim was then introduced by a land broker to the suspect which later saw both parties signing an agreement in March this year.
“The victim’s company then handed over RM357,000 to the suspect’s company, which was allegedly the owner of the said agricultural land,” said Mohd Salleh in a statement issued here today.
Mohd Salleh said the victim later made a check on the land’s status with the Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Ministry in Putrajaya.
“However, the checks found that the land did not belong to the suspect’s company but was owned by the Federal Government.
“After realising that he was cheated, the victim came forward to lodge a police report,” he said.
In a separate case, Mohd Salleh said a 60-year-old man lost RM103,500 after was deceived by a “love scam” syndicate through the Facebook social networking site.
He said the suspect, who allegedly disguised himself as a British man, offered a cash prize of €56,000 (RM276,673) as a token of friendship.
“A “delivery agent” then contacted the victim, who is a government retiree, by asking for tax payment amounting to RM103,500 for the parcel’s clearance that was sent by the man.
“The victim handed over his entire savings before the suspect disappeared. The victim then lodged a police report yesterday,” he said.
Both cases are being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating.
