14 consumers, pharmacy cheated out of RM80,509 in alleged social media sales scam

Ong with the complainants.

By DayakDaily Team

KUCHING, June 19: Fourteen consumers and one pharmacy have lost RM80,509.98 to a scam involving a local woman suspected of selling various daily necessities such as infant formula, disposable diapers, medicines, and household goods through social media platforms.

In a statement issued today, the Sarawak Consumers Association (PPS) said that preliminary reviews of the complaints found that transactions initially proceeded normally, with some buyers receiving the goods they had ordered.

“This is believed to have increased consumers’ confidence to continue making repeat purchases, particularly when offered promotional prices lower than market rates through social media platforms.

“However, according to the complaints received, there were instances where, after several successful transactions, payments were made, but the goods were no longer delivered as promised, even after the agreed delivery period had expired,” it said.

In the case involving the pharmacy, the association said that the same individual allegedly carried out an invalid payment transaction by submitting a receipt believed not to reflect the actual payment amount for the purchase of medicines.

It added that this allegation is based on complaints received and remains subject to further investigation by the authorities.

PPS president Dr Wynson Ong Teck Ping said the number of complaints and the value of losses recorded indicate that the matter warrants serious attention.

“When 14 consumers and a pharmacy are involved, with losses exceeding RM80,000 and potentially reaching hundreds of thousands of ringgit, this is not something that can be taken lightly.

“What is even more concerning is that there are complaints indicating that initial transactions proceeded smoothly before problems arose in subsequent transactions. This highlights the importance of consumers exercising greater caution when shopping online,” he said.

He also advised the public to be vigilant, particularly amid rising living costs that may encourage consumers to seek cheaper deals online.

“The rising cost of living has made consumers more inclined to look for lower-priced offers. However, this situation also creates opportunities for fraud if purchases are not properly verified beforehand.

PPS therefore advises the public to do the following:

• Avoid making payments hastily without proper verification.
• Avoid transferring money to personal bank accounts without verifying that the business is legitimate.
• Check the seller’s background before carrying out any transaction.
• Use safer and traceable payment methods.

PPS also did not rule out the possibility that there may be additional victims who have yet to come forward and is urging them to provide information to assist investigations and prevent more consumers from falling victim.

It added that the case has attracted the attention of the authorities, and the Sarawak Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID) is expected to conduct further investigations based on reports received.

Members of the public who have information or have experienced a similar situation may contact the PPS hotline at 017-7109299. — DayakDaily