KOTA BARU, April 7 — A businesswoman lost RM39,000 after becoming a victim of a scam related to purchase of a luxury vehicle through social media.

Kelantan Commercial Crime Investigation Department (JSJK) chief Supt Ahmad Azizul Mohamed said a report on the e-Commerce fraud was received by the Tanah Merah police headquarters (IPD) Commercial Crime Investigation Division on April 3.

He said in the report, the woman, in her 20s, stated that on March 28, she had surfed social media and was attracted to an advertisement selling used vehicles from a neighbouring country and wanted to buy a Toyota Alphard 3.5 and pay in monthly installments.

“The victim contacted the seller, a man, through the Whatsapp application and was asked to make a payment amounting to approximately RM17,000 for insurance, road tax and matters related to the Road Transport Department (JPJ).

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“On April 1, the victim made several payment transactions to a local bank account, said to belong to an employee of the suspected seller,” he said in a statement here today.

He said the next day, the victim was contacted by a woman who claimed to be an employee of the suspect and asked her to make a payment of RM7,000 to the same local bank account for the purpose of registration and delivery cost of the vehicle.

“The same evening, the woman suspect asked the complainant to make a deposit payment of RM15,000 to another local bank account belonging to a different individual and the victim made the payment through three money transfer transactions.

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“The victim lodged a police report after feeling cheated when the woman suspect claimed that she did not receive the deposit payment and asked her to make the RM15,000 payment in a single transaction,” he added.

The case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code and if convicted, the offender can be jailed for up to 10 years, whipped and fined. — Bernama