A WOMAN posted a viral post on X showing that she was apparently “scammed” by what appears to be an advertisement showing a room for rent in Kuala Lumpur. She placed a deposit to book the room but realised it was a scam regarding the viewing appointment, and the renter blocked her on WhatsApp.
7 Sept 2024 – i nampak this one iklan for master bedroom dekat facebook (tak sempatlah nak ss) andthen i terus lah aproach her. nama facebook dekat situ ‘Aisyah Rusli’.
The master bedroom yang dia offer dekat PV9 Residency which near with LRT TAMAN MELATI pic.twitter.com/apiI9PaJim
— najwa | 🎀 (@leeknowsrh) September 13, 2024
Moreover, X users informed the woman that the scammer might have possibly used her IC and other details that she shared for her tenancy. They advised her to report the whole ordeal to the police to avoid any unnecessary problems in the future.
😭 Dia dah ambil data awak takut salinan ic digunakan untuk buat pinjaman atau daftar tambah ahli dalam syarikat scam investment.
Buat cover report sekali supaya nama tak disalahguna pakai in the future.
— 🌻 The Matahari 🌻 (@deardaisyjo) September 13, 2024
Furthermore, other users claimed that the same thing has happened to them.
Some users lost over RM600 in scams like this. There are concerns when it comes to placing deposits for places to rent. Apparently, some scammers would use a small business owner’s account for these deposits and inform these account owners that they made a wrong deposit and would request a refund.
Dulu pernah jugak kena scam gini, hilang 650 kot.. and then ada lagi sorang kena tapi dia dapat balik duit dia.. sebab aku gigih cari nama owner bank acct tu.. rupanya dia guna no acct org lain (seller kecik2) and the nanti dia buat2 cakap dia tersalah transfer 🫠
— Eni🥲 (@feiiiiiii_) September 13, 2024
A survey revealed that 76% of Malaysians have encountered scams, with 51% experiencing them in the past three months. Despite the prevalence, fewer than half of the victims report scams to authorities.
Only 48% of those scammed sought help from the police, MCMC, CyberSecurity Malaysia, or Bank Negara Malaysia. Ipsos Malaysia’s Kuan Sawu Fang noted the need for a multifaceted approach, including law enforcement and public education, to combat the growing threat of digital scams.
Saya nak bagi satu tips untuk elak penipuan terutamanya dalam sewa/beli rumah.
1. Mintak REN number agent.
i. Kalau ada, semak dalam website https://t.co/KPC20mz2iE. Kemudian boleh call agency dia untuk pengesahan.
ii. Kalau tiada, jangan layan. Cari unit lain.— Rzmn Osmn 🏔️ 🇵🇸 (@rzmnosmn) September 13, 2024
One of the ways to avoid this particular scam is to search for units from real estate agents actively. Users add that real estate agents would have a specific ID number, which can help in the event of a scam. – Sept 14, 2024
