SEREMBAN: A 56-year-old housewife who agreed to buy a Munchkin cat for RM500 after seeing an advertisement on social media has ended up being duped of RM30,050.
State Commercial Crimes Investigation Department head Supt Aibee Ab Ghani said the victim was attracted when she saw pictures of the cat on a Facebook account on July 26.
“She contacted the so-called seller and agreed to buy the cat for RM500.
“The victim also gave her personal and contact details and made an upfront payment of RM150 via online on the same day,” he said in a statement.
However, the “seller” kept on asking the victim for more payment which included a guarantee, Customs charges, licence fee, insurance and transportation fee.
“She was told that the money she paid for the guarantee would be refunded,” he said, adding that the woman had also received messages from five different mobile numbers asking for payments.
The victim then made 10 transactions and banked money into accounts belonging to four individuals.
She banked in between RM1,000 and RM5,000 on each occasion.
Supt Aibee said the victim was warned to keep banking in more money each time failing which her earlier payments would be forfeited.
She was also told that the cat would not be sent to her if payments stopped.
He said the victim then tried contacting the “seller” and the other individuals about the cat but could not get through.
“In the end, she neither received any refund nor the cat,” he said.
The victim lodged a report at the Senawang police station on Wednesday (July 28) after realising that she had been duped.
The case is being probed under section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating, which provides a jail term of between one and 10 years, whipping and a fine upon conviction.
