KENINGAU: Police have received seven reports of fraud cases related to sale and purchase of goods via the Internet in the first seven months of this year involving a total loss of RM18,324.
Disclosing this here on Monday, district police chief deputy superintendent Douglas Nyeging Taong said one fraud case through Facebook involved RM6,900 losses, three cases via Mudah involved RM2,800 losses and three cases through Lelong involved a total loss of RM8,624.
In comparison with the same period last year, he said nine fraud cases involving RM14,519 losses were reported.
“Four cases through Facebook with a total loss of RM4,020, five cases through Mudah.My involving RM10,100 losses and one case through Lelong.My with losses of RM399 were reported,” he said at a press conference here.
According to him, the suspect cheated victims by promising to send a cell phone that was advertised on Facebook but he disappeared after the money was banked into his account.
Douglas said a new case involved a housewife who lost RM6,900 after she was cheated by advertisements of cheap mobile phones on Facebook.
He said police received a report from the 24-year-old victim on July 19 this year after she was deceived by the suspect who advertised the sale of mobile phones at low prices on Facebook page.
“After the victim contacted the suspect about the mobile phone, the suspect ordered her to bank money into an account.
“The suspect promised to send the goods within two weeks after the money was banked into the account, but he could not be contacted after that.
Douglas said the case was being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code.
He said college and university students, government employees and housewives were targeted by online cheats.
According to Section 420 of the Penal Code, he said a person can be jailed for between one and 10 years with whipping and liable to a fine upon conviction.
“I advise the people not be fooled by cheap products that are sold through social sites like Facebook, Mudah and Lelong,” he said.
Douglas also said that the investigation into the cases was still going on.