Lim (left) advises victims of the food truck scam to lodge police reports.
NINETEEN people were cheated of RM300,000 when they attempted to purchase a food truck through an online deal.
Lai (not his real name) said he was keen to invest in a food truck when he saw it being sold for an attractive price on an app which was popular among the Chinese community.
“After contacting the person in charge, I went to the office in Bandar Sunway, Subang Jaya.
“It was a shared space between a workshop and an office.
“A woman called Tan contacted me online and told me to meet her husband at their office in Subang Jaya.
“When I visited the office, I saw children playing. It looked like a family business,” he added.
Lai said he paid a down-payment of RM20,000 in September last year, and has not received the food truck until today.
He was among victims who were present at a press conference at Kepong MP Lim Lip Eng’s office.
“Upon checking with Tan, I was told my truck was stuck at the Customs Department.
“I told her that I needed the food truck urgently, and was told to pay RM4,000 to rent one while they get clearance from Customs.
“I received a temporary food truck the same month but I had to return it as I was told my vehicle had been cleared.
“But I never received my food truck,” he said, adding that he had not been able to contact Tan or her husband since then.
Another victim, who paid RM23,000, also faces a similar predicament and has not been able to contact the seller.
A third victim, Wong said he did not receive the food truck he paid for and lost RM54,000.
“I was taken in by the claims made by the seller regarding the food truck business,” he said.
Wong said that in addition to the bogus food truck sale, he was offered a trading lot in Sepang last year.
“The company still has a presence on major social media platforms.
“So far, we have identified 19 victims who were scammed by that company.
“We hope others in the same boat will come forward and lodge police reports.
“So far, one of us has been contacted by the police for further information.
“The victims are from Johor Baru, Penang and the Klang Valley,” said Wong.
The victims claim that it cost RM80,000 to buy a food truck but the online deal was for a more affordable vehicle from China.
Kepong MP Lim Lip Eng said scammers were finding new ways to cheat.
He urged other victims to come forward and lodge police reports.
“These cases fall under cheating and fraud crimes.
“I will gather the victims’ police reports and follow up on the progress,” he said.
Lim also urged the victims to lodge an online report to Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC).
