Scratched but no win thanks to scammers

On January 9, 2013,

JOHOR BARU: A 30-year-old Malaysian sales executive working in Singapore claims that she has no knowledge about the scratch and win scam in Johor due to her busy working schedule.

The victim, who only wanted to be known as Chu, who was conned RM6,950, said she only comes back to Johor Baru once a month to shop.

While crossing the pedestrian bridge linking a shopping complex to the Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) complex here on Dec 5 on her way back to Singapore, she was approached by two young men.

“They asked me to pick an envelope and as soon as I opened it, they excitedly congratulated me saying that I was in the running to win a Toyota car or a vacation package,” she told a press conference organised by Johor Baru MCA Youth chairman Kua Song Tuck here recently.

She added that they told her that she could only open another envelope at their office in Taman Sentosa to determine whether she had won the car or vacation.

Chu said upon arriving at the office they asked her to pay RM10,300 in order to claim the prize and drove her to a nearby shopping mall to withdraw RM 6,950 from four credit cards.

When Chu returned to the office the men took her money claiming that they only wanted the serial number of the currencies.

“When I realised that I had only won a jade mattress and a water treatment system, I asked them to return my money but they refused,” she said adding that they promised to return her money within three days.

Chu lodged a police report on Dec 6 at Taman Pelangi police station, and sought help from MCA to retrieve her money.

Kua said that such scams had been around since 2006 and that MCA has gone all out to curb the problem.

“Although the number of scratch and win scam cases had decreased throughout the years, many people still approached us with the problem,” he said.

Kua was even more furious when he came to know that the office of the two men was located in an area that he is overlooking.

“I will step down from my post as the MCA Youth chairman if I am unable to close down their office at Taman Sentosa within two months,” he said.

Meanwhile, at press time, Johor Baru South OCPD ACP Zainuddin Yaakob could not be reached to confirm on the case.

-The Star-