KOTA KINABALU: Two people, including a woman, have been arrested by the police for alleged involvement in a vehicle scam through an online sale and purchase website www.mudah.com which caused a victim to lose RM3,740.
State Commercial Crime Investigation Department chief Superintendent Saiman Kasran, said the arrests were made following a report lodged by a 28-year-old victim in Kota Belud.
“Following the report, police managed to identify two suspects, aged 22 and 31 years, and arrested them in Tuaran on July 21.
“Police also confiscated several items such as a handphone, a cellphone sim card and an ATM card that are believed used by the suspects,” he said yesterday.
According to Saiman, the suspects’ modus operandi was to advertise the sale of used cars at www.mudah.com.
“When an unsuspecting victim calls up enquiring about the vehicle that is for sale, one of the suspects will then make an arrangement to meet up.
“After meeting up, the first suspect will instruct the victim to bank in the deposit amount for the vehicle into an account provided by them. Once the deposit amount has been banked into the said account, the suspects will not return the victim’s phone call and would conveniently disappear,” he said.
Saiman said both suspects had been remanded for investigation and police believed they may have been involved in up to seven similar cases in Kota Kinabalu, Kota Belud and Tenom.
The case is currently being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property, which is punishable with imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than one year and not more than ten years and with whipping, and shall also be liable to fine.