Sibu: A local trader lost over RM79,000 after being deceived by an offer of lucrative returns through an online prize draw scam earlier this month. Sibu district police chief ACP Zulkipli Suhaili reported that the victim, a man in his 50s, was first deceived while watching a live broadcast on Facebook promoting a gift box draw on August 7.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the victim made a payment of RM499 to the provided account to participate in the activity, but did not win any prizes. Subsequently, the victim received a call via the WhatsApp application from an international number. The caller, identifying himself as Mr. Teng from Shanghai, China, claimed to represent a gold company planning to open a branch in Malaysia, which would hold a prize draw offering gift boxes containing US dollar cash and the opportunity to become a business partner.

The victim agreed to purchase 80 gift boxes and made payment to the account provided by the suspect. On August 12, the victim received a call from a woman named Miss Lee, who informed him that the gift box had been opened and that he had supposedly won USD288,888.88 (RM1,218,677.74) in cash, which would be transferred to his account on the same day.

From August 7 to 13, the victim made 11 transactions totaling RM79,499 to two local accounts, but no money was received, and the victim's WhatsApp messages were blocked. Becoming suspicious, the victim filed a police report on August 14, which the police confirmed receiving.

Zulkipli advised the public to exercise caution when participating in online prize draws whose authenticity cannot be verified, to avoid becoming victims of fraud. For advice or further information, the public can contact the National Scam Response Centre at 997 or visit the Facebook page @cybercrimealertrmp@jsjpdrm. Suspicious bank accounts and phone numbers can be checked through the website.