AN 18-year-old male teenager in Hulu Terengganu has been swindled out of RM56,600 after being deceived by an unknown individual who claimed he had won a substantial cash reward.
Hulu Terengganu district police chief Superintendent Sharudin Abdul Wahab said the victim, who works as a hardware shop assistant, received a phone call from the suspect asserting that he was entitled to a lucrative prize.
He said the suspect told the victim that several payments were required to process the prize claim and assured him that all the money paid would be refunded together with the winnings.
“Because he trusted the suspect’s promises, the victim proceeded to make a series of money transfers to four different bank accounts, amounting to a total of RM56,600.
“After that, the suspect continued to pressure the victim to make additional payments, only then did the victim realise that he had been cheated and subsequently lodged a police report,” he said.
Sharudin advised the public to remain vigilant and not to be easily misled by calls or messages from unknown individuals offering prizes or cash rewards.
He said checks could be made through official platforms such as the SemakMule Portal, Bank Negara Malaysia’s Alert List and the Securities Commission Malaysia to help prevent falling victim to scams. - December 28, 2025
