A 71-year-old woman in Kuching has lost RM527,130 to a job scam via TikTok.
Kuching police chief ACP Alexson Naga Chabu said the victim lodged a report on Friday after being duped by an online part-time job offer she received via TikTok on 1 September. The offer, linked to the ‘TK Shop’ platform, promised high commissions for completing tasks.
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“Attracted by the offer of a lucrative commission, the victim agreed to join the programme and was given several tasks to accomplish to get the promised lucrative commissions.”
“She was assigned multiple tasks and, following instructions, made 23 transfers to 16 different bank accounts. She only realised it was a scam when no payments were made,” Alexson said in a statement.
Police warn of rising job scam cases in Kuching
The case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property, which carries a penalty of one to 10 years’ imprisonment, whipping, and a possible fine.
Alexson Naga Chabu
From January to November, Kuching’s Commercial Crime Investigation Division has opened 49 cases involving similar scams, with total losses amounting to RM2,268,373.24, including this latest incident.
“Do not trust social media job offers promising easy money. If you’ve been scammed, call the National Scam Response Centre at 997 within 24 hours,” Alexson advised.
Stay tuned for more updates!
