KUANTAN: A 44-year-old businessman was cheated out of RM252,800 by a friend in a sale-and-purchase transaction involving motorcycles over a five-year period.
The victim, from Temerloh, started dealing with the man in 2015 when he arrived at his shop to order motorcycles of various brands, and since then, the victim had regularly purchased and sold motorcycles to the suspect.
Early this month, the suspect handed him several cheques amounting to RM222,000 as payment for motorcycles purchased on several occasions over the last few months.
Pahang Commercial Crime Investigation Department chief Superintendent Mohd Wazir Mohd Yusof said that on Jan 25, the victim went to the bank to deposit several cheques.
“However, four days later, he was informed by the bank that the cheques bounced, as the issuer’s account had no money in it. The victim tried to contact the suspect to clarify the matter, but he could not be contacted.
“The victim claimed that he had also purchased about 30 motorcycles from the suspect but could not sell all the units. He lodged a police report claiming to have suffered losses of about RM252,800 from the business deal.”
Meanwhile, in a separate incident in Maran, a 37-year-old female trader who acted as the middleman for a car purchase deal was duped by two conmen, who claimed they had access to cars seized by the Customs Department.
Wazir said the victim had identified 13 potential buyers who had deposited RM35,000 into her bank account before she handed the cash to the duo.
He said the incident began in January 2018 when the victim's husband befriended two men who claimed to be second-hand car sellers.
“The suspects told the victim’s husband to find potential buyers who only need to pay insurance payment depending on the car price. The husband suggested that his wife (the victim) be the middleman and she agreed.
“The victim managed to get 13 potential buyers who paid RM35,000 between January and February in 2018, before she transferred the cash to the two men.
“The suspects told the victim that the vehicles would be delivered after completing Puspakom (Computerised Vehicle Inspection Centre) procedures.”
Wazir said in May 2018, the victim was informed that one of the suspects was arrested for cheating in a house purchase deal and when she cosnfronted the other suspect, the woman realised that she had been cheated in the car purchase business.
“When she planned to lodge a police report, one of the suspect’s mothers paid RM10,000 and promised to settle the remaining RM25,000 in stages.
“Since the buyers continued to demand that the victim return their money, she decided to lodge a police report yesterday," Wazir said, adding that police are tracking the two men who have now gone into hiding.
Wazir said both cases are being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating, which provides for a maximum jail term of 10 years and whipping, and a fine if convicted.