Malaysia: Scratch and win scam

Scratch and win scam

A Singaporean who was shopping at the Johor Baru City Square lost RM 7,500 in a scratch and win scam.

The victim, Loh Kum Fai, 53, said a saleswoman had approached him and offered a coupon while he was walking along the pedestrian bridge from Custom & Immigration Quarantine Complex (CIQ) to the mall early this month.

“I was told to tear open a coupon given to me and upon opening it, she shouted that I had won a special prize,” he said at a press conference organised by Johor Baru MCA Youth chief Kua Song Tuck.

Loh added that he took a taxi with the salesgirl to the company’s office in Taman Molek and was told to pay a total of RM7,500 in fees before he could claim the prizes.

Among the items that he had won were a Jade Mattress, an electric stove and a leg massager machine.

Loh said that after a few weeks, he only received the mattress, which was delivered to his house in Singapore and has yet to receive the rest of the prizes despite several visits to the office and lodged a police report against the scratch and win company.

In an unrelated case, a factory worker employed in Singapore was also cheated in a similar scam last month.

The victim, Siew Kim Hong, 52, said she was approached by a salesman near City Square.

“I followed the man to his office located in Taman Molek and I was greeted by his supervisor who claimed to be an ‘Eric Tiong’.

“Tiong told me to pay RM7,600 in order to see the prizes I have won,” she said.

Siew added that she forked out the money and was told she had won a Jade Mattress, electric stove and a foot massager.

After few weeks, she went to the office to collect her prizes but she was told that the company has no employee by the name of ‘Eric Tiong’.

Following the discovery, Siew lodged a police report.

Commenting on the matter, Kua said that in the month of March, he received 10 complaints about scratch and win scam.

“We hope Domestic Trade Co-operatives and Consumerism Ministry will do something about this,” he said.

Police, when contacted, confirmed the reports and said that the cases are pending investigations.

-News courtesy of The Star-