ONLINE fraud linked to vehicle sales is emerging as a growing threat in Sabah, with losses exceeding RM14.6 million in less than three months as scam syndicates adopt increasingly deceptive tactics to target unsuspecting buyers.
According to Royal Malaysia Police, a total of 290 investigation papers were opened by the Commercial Crime Investigation Division at the Kota Kinabalu district police headquarters between January and 15 March, with 214 cases involving online scams amounting to RM11.12 million in losses.
Acting Kota Kinabalu police chief Syed Lot Syed Ab Rahman said that within those figures, 46 cases were specifically related to e-commerce vehicle purchase scams, resulting in losses of RM328,888.
He explained that syndicates typically replicate genuine vehicle sale advertisements from platforms such as Facebook and Mudah.my before offering the same vehicles at significantly reduced prices to lure victims.
“Suspects will negotiate prices while directing victims to the original owner’s address to inspect the vehicle.
“At the same time, the suspects will also contact the actual owner, claiming interest and stating that a representative will view the vehicle,” he said in a statement.
The deception unfolds once a price agreement is reached, with victims instructed to make payment upfront before the vehicle is handed over.
“However, the actual owner refuses to release the vehicle as no payment has been received, while the syndicate disappears and blocks all contact with the victim.
“Investigations found that the syndicate acts as an intermediary and never meets either the victim or the vehicle owner,” he said.
Police have urged the public to exercise caution when encountering unusually low-priced offers online and to verify the authenticity of listings before proceeding with any transactions, as the scale and sophistication of such scams continue to escalate. - March 19, 2026
