SIPITANG: District Police Chief Champin Piuh reminded the public to be especially cautious to avoid falling prey to scammers who use the identities of their friends to send messages over WhatsApp.
“Scammers use photos of their friends taken from Facebook or the Telegram application using new phone numbers,” he said.
“They will send WhatsApp messages to unsuspecting victims requesting money and provide their bank account details so that people will trust them,” he added.
He said those who receive such calls must file a police report and double-check the phone number and account number in the police Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID) system.
He hopes the public, particularly those who get such calls or WhatsApp messages, will not be duped by such scammers.
A teacher lost RM254,600 last month after being duped over the phone by a person posing as an officer from the Inland Revenue Board and the police.
A nurse in Beaufort fell prey to the Macau Scam in March, when she was cheated of RM50,000 by a person posing as an officer from the Inland Revenue Board.
