Civil servant loses RM48,000 over 'winning lottery'
Published on: Saturday, October 10, 2015
Kota Kinabalu: A 51-year-old civil servant ended up RM48,000 poorer after being convinced by a syndicate that he would be getting a winning lottery ticket. The episode unfolded on July 9 when the Dusun man returned to his vehicle parked at the Central Market, to find a brochure slipped under the windshield wiper of his car.The man became convinced that this could land him a huge win after reading a "testimony" advertised on the brochure offering winning lottery tickets through prayer rituals performed at a temple in Thailand.
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He contacted the number displayed on the brochure and was later contacted by an unknown man who instructed him to deposit the money into a bank account. Determined to obtain the winning ticket, the unsuspecting man deposited RM48,163 through 11 transactions since July and only realised he was cheated when he spent all his savings without any sign of the so-called winning ticket. City Police Chief ACP M. Chandra said the man lodged a police report on Oct 2 and investigations are being done under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating. He said further checks on the so-called winning ticket displayed on the brochure showed it had been altered to influence victims.
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He said further checks also showed that there was a similar case reported in the city in 2011 involving a 33-year-old Kadazan businessman who lost RM98,117.48 to a syndicate. "The brochures might be different but the modus operandi used is the same, where the syndicate would convince people into believing that they can land a winning ticket with the help of prayer rituals done at a temple in Thailand.
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"The unsuspecting victim would only receive a call from an unknown individual several days after sending a text message with their name and date-of-birth to the number displayed on the brochure," he said. He urged those with any information on the whereabouts of one Lim Hock Siew, 43, of Alor Setar, Kedah to contact the City Commercial Crime Investigations Department Head ASP Ruzaidi Saad at 016-4787713 or the Investigating Officer Sergeant Jomon Sibi at 013-3033555.On that note, he advised people not to be easily blinded by such advertisement without getting proof of its validity and not to deposit cash into bank accounts of unknown persons. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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