MILTON Foo shows the fake letter send to the victim’s house.
KUCHING: A Batu Kawa resident, Mr Jong was shocked after he received a fake letter, purportedly from the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court, demanding nearly RM15,000 in payment through default judgement.
In a press conference today, SUPP Public Complaint Bureau, Milton Foo said this is the first time a physical letter was used as a scam.
He said the letter falsely claimed that the victim was involved in a civil suit in KL and that a default fault judgment had been issued against him.
The letter instructed Jong a construction worker aged 35 to settle RM14,959.71 in alleged outstanding interest, along with late fees and legal costs.
The recipient, who said he had never work in Kuala Lumpur nor lost any personal documents was advised by friends to verify from a lawyer to protect himself from identity misuse.
Foo checked that the letter was fake and warned public that scammers are now using fake court letters to trick victims.
He said unlike typical online scams, these letters carry a court seal, a person’s name, and a phone number, making them appear authentic.
Foo explained that once contacted, scammers can pose as court officers, verify personal details, and demand payment.
He stressed that courts never send payment demands directly to individuals.
“If you are sued, it will be through a lawyer with a proper address and credentials,” he said.
He said Jong was fortunate to avoid losses after seeking Foo’s help and filing a police report.
Foo reminded the public to verify any suspicious documents with a lawyer and not to call numbers listed in the letters.
He said Malaysians have lost an estimated RM3 billion to scams so far for the last 19 months.
By Connie Chieng