CIMB Acc: Mohd Farizal, 7637237717 | Junaini Binti Matsalleh 7638657004
Maybank: Mohd Sufian Bin Basir, 160149123489 | Mustafa bin Abdul Rahman, 164472375524
Ambank: Salmat Selamat, 0100014038365
Instagram cartoonist So, I have a job. recently shared her experience on her IG Stories about allegedly being scammed when she bought what she thought was a luxury bag online and we reached out to find out more about what happened and more importantly, what can be done about it.
The page looks legit enough, 116,000 followers, customer reviews, and all the right words on the profile page.
Thinking nothing of it, a particular handbag caught her eye and she texted the number provided to arrange for a sale. The bag cost RM2,895 and the seller requested a bank in. You may read the series of events that transpired in a text chain that the victim shared with us:
After the money was transferred the seller became silent and eventually blocked her Instagram account and phone number. Realising the scam, she immediately made a police report detailing everything that transpired.
The report details the phone number of the scammer and their bank account but there was nothing the police could do. Similar to the infamous Macau scam led by the now surrendered Nicky Liow, the police told her that these accounts are almost always mule accounts.
Mule accounts are bank accounts created by criminals using stolen or synthetic identities that cannot be traced back to the criminals.
There is literally no recourse. Not from the police, the bank, or from Instagram.
The Instagram account is still going strong and all efforts to report the account have not yielded any results. The only other useful information provided by the police was to always check the IC, bank account, and mobile number of suspected scammers at Semak Mule.
We tried inputting the number 014 263 9461 into the Semak Mule portal and there were 15 reports with the number already and nothing has been done.
We urge all members of the public to please check any online sellers out at Semak Mule. Or even if a long lost uncle or aunty comes drops into your inbox requesting for money, check that bank account out.
If you've been scammed, we'd like to shine a light on it. DM us on Facebook or Instagram. In the mean time, share this article with your friends who may not know about checking for suspicious accounts.