Mad over mooncakes: businessman cheated of RM35,000 by online seller

MIRI – A business operator based in Kota Samarahan in southern Sarawak has lodged a police report claiming he had been cheated of some RM35,000 worth of high-quality mooncakes by a supplier he found on Facebook.

Kota Samarahan district police chief Deputy Supt Brodie Brangka today said the victim had lodged a police report against the mooncake supplier, alleging that he had been cheated to the tune of some RM35,000 worth of various varieties of mooncakes.

“The businessman in his police report said he had gotten to know the mooncake supplier after browsing through Facebook advertisements promoting mooncakes.

“He started communicating with the dealer via Facebook and then via telephone.

“The businessman said he then ordered 969 boxes of high-quality mooncakes costing RM44,800 and paid the full sum online to the dealer.

“The businessman said that so far he had only received 807 boxes.

“He had failed to receive the other 162 boxes and the supplier had allegedly refused to entertain his demands for the rest of the mooncake or monetary refund,” said Brodie in a press statement.

The businessman claimed in his report that the undelivered 162 boxes were very high-quality mooncakes worth RM35,000.

The police once again called on members of the public to exercise extra precautions before entering into any business transactions online that involve a big sum of monetary payments.

Brodie said the public must be extra careful when dealing with strangers they stumble upon via social media. – The Vibes, September 21, 2023