MIRI – A man in Padawan ended up losing RM21,500 after he paid a scammer to purchase a housing lot, but instead received a plot for a grave in a cemetery.
This incident took place along Jalan Matang, here and the victim had since lodged a police report, said Padawan district police chief Superintendent Abang Zainal Abidin.
“The victim, in his 30s, claimed that he paid a man to purchase a plot in a village along Jalan Matang that was apparently meant for housing.
“The victim said he had paid RM21,500 for the housing project.
“He later found out that the plot sold to him was actually located inside a gazetted cemetery,” Zainal said in a press statement.
“When it involves land or property, the public should always check with the State Land and Survey Department office near them to ascertain the status of the land they are interested in buying,” he stressed.
It was disclosed that initial police investigations revealed that many of the alleged victims of a bogus property-land investment company based in Sibu had been swindled after being lured via Facebook advertisements posted by the company agents.
Sarawak police chief Commissioner Datuk Mohd Azman Ahmad Sapri said the state police had already carried out numerous probes throughout the state linked to this particular company.
“We have formed a special unit to handle cases linked to this company because of the big amount of money involved.
“Our initial probe showed that the victims had been enticed to invest in the so-called investment schemes offered by the company agents after they linked up with these agents via Facebook ads posted by the company agents.
“We have already charged two of these so-called agents in Miri and their cases are pending,” he said.
Azman said that in Miri, there are reports of victims losing up to RM3.25 million, in Kuching victims had claimed losing up to RM2.17 million, Sibu some RM1.63 million and in Bintulu about RM1.93 million.
He confirmed that non-governmental group Malaysia International Humanitarian Organisation (MHO) had on Monday furnished more information of such cases involving Sarawakian victims.
On Monday, the civil society group had claimed that the alleged property-investment company, based in Sibu, had swindled more than RM500 million from ordinary folk who had invested money in housing construction schemes and land investment schemes offered by that company.
MHO claimed that there are more than 500 victims, most of them Sarawakians, who were allegedly cheated by the said company. – The Vibes, September 20, 2023
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