Scam giving JB a bad name

28 March 2013

THE Singapore police revealed an alarming number of their nationals who fell victim to the scratch-and-win syndicate in Johor Baru.

Last year, 89 Singaporeans were cheated of RM1.05 million by members of the syndicate.

The latter operates at the overhead bridge linking JB Sentral and Johor Baru City Square.

On average, each of the victims was cheated of RM12,000.

Most certainly, the number of Malaysian victims are even higher.

Recently, a Malaysian was assaulted by syndicate members at the overhead bridge.

This was because he ignored the cajoling of one of the members.

The scratch-and-win scam is nothing new.

But the more the number of people know about it, the more the number of victims.

The authorities have put up huge buntings at the overhead bridge.

Even the floor of the overhead bridge towards the Johor Baru City Square has a huge poster to remind pedestrians to avoid the people behind the scam.

Despite these measures, syndicate members continue to prey on potential victims at the overhead bridge.

They seem to know the schedule of the enforcement officers at the site.

The syndicate members are basically those in their early 20s and probably school drop-outs.

They are casually attired and their only weapon are their deceptive tongues.

They will sweet-talk their potential victims until there is no turning back but to surrender their hard-earned money, or even their pensions, just for some inferior products which they believe to be superior.

Recently, another group of people, probably from the same syndicate, was spotted at the Jalan Station-Jalan Wong Ah Fook junction.

The syndicate will usually target areas with high pedestrian volume.

All sorts of tactics will be deployed to convince their potential victims to part with their money.

On Jan 19 this year, there was a Singaporean victim who was promised media coverage by the Singapore press if she won the first prize.

To cut her story short, she was cheated of RM4,920.

The scratch-and-win syndicate is a national shame.

Preying for potential victims at the southern gateway is as good as setting a trap for tourists.

The Tourism Ministry has been working hard to attract tourists into the country.

However, the traumatic experience of some of the tourists who fell prey to such a scam will certainly do the rounds when they return to their respective countries.

Eventually, it will be the city of Johor Baru which will earn a bad reputation.

Google "Johor Baru" and "scratch-and-win syndicate" and you will know what I mean.

Perhaps it is time to have a police booth in each of the operating areas of the syndicate. This may be the only way to bust it.