Beautician loses RM7,000 in used car scam, gets threats after she stops paying

KUALA LUMPUR: A “too good to be true” deal on a used car ended up being just that after scammers managed to dupe almost RM7,000 from a beautician.

The 54-year-old victim, Jong, was in the midst of purchasing a 2021 Honda CRV after seeing the offer via Facebook in early August.

The “car” was being sold at only RM48,000, leading Jong to express her interest to the supposed seller.

“She said that her name was Lee and that her company was based in Langkawi. She sent a photo that was claimed to be of herself holding her identity card to convince me that she was real,” she said when retelling her ordeal at a press conference in Wisma MCA on Thursday (Aug 24).

The press conference was organized by Public Services and Complaints Department head Datuk Seri Michael Chong.

During the conversations, Jong told ‘Lee’ that the car was to be registered under her daughter’s workplace.

At first, she was asked to pay RM2,600 for a “towing deposit” to which she complied. Then another call came demanding RM4,170 for insurance and tax purposes.

Again she paid, still expecting to eventually receive the car even though all she had received at this point were just several photos.

“Each time I was told to pay, ‘Lee’ would call me multiple times to ask if the money had been sent and she insisted that I immediately call back when the money was deposited.

“Both transactions were made to differing bank accounts and the names did not match hers,” she said, adding that the last transaction was made on Aug 14.

Not long after that Jong was again asked for more money, this time RM6,000 for a supposed AP (Approval Permit) for the Road Transport Department.

“That’s when I felt that I was being cheated so I stopped paying. But then Lee and her ‘boss’ started calling and threatening me, saying that I have to pay RM41,230 because they had suffered losses.

“They even started sending threatening messages to my daughter’s workplace. This is between you and me so what business did you have sending those messages to my daughter?” she said angrily.

One of the messages claimed that “Brother Tiger” would come after her and her family to pay up.

“I blocked them all then they disturbed my daughter. I have already filed a police report,” she said.

Chong said that this case was unlike any other he had dealt with.

“Normally after the scammers take your money they would just move on. But this time they are threatening to send loan sharks.

“But of course, we don’t know if these loan sharks even exist in the first place,” he said.