A LOCAL man has lost RM396,850 after falling victim to an online part-time job scam that promised high returns and commission payments, highlighting the continuing threat posed by fraudulent employment schemes targeting internet users.
The victim form Miri, who is in his early 50s ,was allegedly deceived by a syndicate operating through an online platform that offered opportunities to earn money by managing customer purchase orders for an e-commerce business.
Miri District Police Chief Assistant Commissioner Mohd Farhan Lee Abdullah said the district Commercial Crime Investigation Division received a report regarding the case on Monday.
According to police, the victim was initially contacted through a messaging application by an individual identifying himself as “Lim”, who introduced what appeared to be a legitimate part-time income opportunity.
The victim was told he could generate earnings by handling customer purchase transactions and was promised a commission of 10 per cent for every completed order.
“The victim was promised a commission of 10 per cent for every transaction successfully completed.
“To participate in the scheme, the victim was required to make advance payments for each order, purportedly to enable the factory to process and deliver the goods to customers.
“Throughout his involvement in the scheme, the victim was instructed to make various payments into several different bank accounts.
“Although profits were displayed in the system, the victim was never able to withdraw any of the earnings because he was continually asked to make additional payments for various reasons,” he said.
Investigators said the victim proceeded to make a series of payments to multiple bank accounts after being convinced the funds were required to process customer orders and facilitate product deliveries.
As the scheme progressed, the victim was repeatedly instructed to transfer additional sums of money under various pretexts. Although the online system purportedly displayed growing profits and commissions, he was never able to withdraw any of the earnings shown on the platform.
By the time he realised he had been deceived, the victim had lost RM396,850, comprising both his personal savings and money borrowed from family members.
Police have classified the case as cheating and are conducting investigations under Section 420 of the Penal Code.
Authorities continue to urge the public to exercise caution when approached with online job offers promising unusually high returns, particularly schemes requiring upfront payments or repeated transfers to multiple bank accounts before profits can be accessed. - June 1, 2026
