KUCHING, July 26 — An event manager here was scammed of RM1.2 million after he took a fraudulent online part-time job in May this year.

In a statement today, Sarawak police commissioner Datuk Mohd Azman Ahmad Sapri said the victim, who is in his 30s, became acquainted with a woman purportedly named Emma on Tinder, who offered him a part-time job on May 14.

"The victim was told that he would get a 1.1 per cent commission to join the part-time job,” said Mohd Azman.

He said the victim was also promised extra commission if he managed to sell products on a website.

The suspect, who claimed to be from Vietnam, also explained how the so-called part-time job worked via a videocall.

"Between May 15 and July 13, the victim transferred a total of RM1.2 million to seven bank accounts. So far, the victim only received a return of RM200,000,” said Mohd Azman.

He added the victim only realised he had been scammed when he did not receive the promised commission.

The public are advised not to entertain unknown phone calls and to immediately notify their partners, friends, or family members should they receive such phone calls, as well as to check with the police, banks, or related agencies for confirmation.

They should not provide bank details to unknown individuals or parties, and refrain from registering the suspects’ phone numbers for their online banking.

Contact the National Scam Response Centre on 997 if you are a victim of cyberscams (phone scam, love scam, e-commerce, non-existent loans) and if you have just made a money transfer to a suspect’s bank account or e-wallet.

The public can also download the Whoscall app via the Google Play Store or Apple Store to identify numbers listed in the Semak Mule System database or scan the QR Code on the Commercial Crime Investigation Department’s (CCID) social media accounts and commercial crime e-books to get the latest information on commercial crime modus operandi.

Contact the CCID Infoline on 013-211 1222 via WhatsApp or SMS to receive advice or provide information on online criminal cases, or check suspected phone numbers and bank accounts through the Check Scammers CCID app or http://semakmule.rmp.gov.my before making any transactions.

Visit the CCID’s official social media accounts (@JSJKPDRM and @CYBERCRIMEALERTRMP) on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok to get information on the latest fraud modes of operation. — Borneo Post Online