KUCHING: Police have arrested an unemployed man suspected of cheating 256 people by promising jobs in Qatar by paying RM350 each at a house in Sri Aman, 186 km from here.
Sarawak CCID chief, Supt Mohd Firdaus Abdullah said the man arrested on Friday also promised RM20,000 as down payment to the victims, supposedly to be paid before departure to Qatar.
Police received 23 reports regarding the case since the beginning of this month and investigation found that 256 people aged between 18 and 58 years from Sri Aman, Betong and Kuching had fallen victims.
Mohd Fridaus told a press conference, the 27 year-old man from Sarikei began his scam in April by holding briefing at his house in Sri Aman and promised jobs in Qatar that pay 12 Euro (RM52) per hour.
The man who was remanded can be charged under Section 420 of the Penal Code which carries a jail sentence of not less than one year and not more than 10 years and whipping.
Police also confiscated hundreds of copies of identity cards, copies of bank account passbooks, cash deposit receipts and passport sized photographs of the victims found in the man’s house.
He urged the public to be wary of jobs promising lucrative salaries for fear of falling victims of scam and advised job seekers to use the proper channels.
A similar case was detected in Sibu last month involving a 27 year-old man who was arrested for alleged cheating for offering jobs with lucrative salaries overseas. –BERNAMA