KUCHING: Special Assistant to Chong Chieng Jen, Michael Kong urged the public to stay vigilant after assisting a borrower who was duped by a caller impersonating a moneylender’s representative soon after she lodged a police report.
According to Kong, the victim had taken a personal loan and, following persistent intimidation, filed a report against the moneylender.
Before she informed anyone about the report, a man who introduced himself as “Raymond” phoned her, claiming he could amicably “resolve” the matter on behalf of the lender if she paid RM11,000.
She complied but a week later the same caller demanded an additional RM5,000 as a “full and final settlement.”
“The complainant sought my help. On my advice, she filed a second police report and I accompanied her to meet the actual moneylender,” Kong said.
“The lender denied knowing any ‘Raymond’ and produced evidence that another customer received similar calls shortly after lodging a report.”
Kong added that the impostor appeared to be using details from police reports to build credibility, noting that a typographical error in the lender’s name was repeated verbatim in the caller’s messages.
“This strongly suggests the impersonator had access to the report and used the information to deceive victims,” he said.
Following discussions, the moneylender agreed to waive accrued interest and accepted repayment of only the remaining principal, which the victim promptly settled.
“This case is a reminder never to transfer money to anyone who claims to act for another party without proper verification,” Kong said.
“Speak directly to the relevant party via official channels, and if you are in financial difficulty, seek help from licensed, regulated institutions and not informal lenders. Scammers exploit fear and urgency, so pause and verify.”
Kong encouraged anyone facing similar circumstances to make a police report, seek assistance, and share information to protect the community from fraud and exploitation.