WE all know the saying: "If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is". However, some of us still fall for scams that masquerade as "too good to be true" deals.
Are scammers offering fake discounts on electric bills one of the latest tactics used to cheat unsuspecting people?
VERDICT:
TRUE
According to Taiping police, a 62-year-old accountant fell victim to a scam involving a fake Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) bill payment package, resulting in a loss of RM164,903.
Taiping OCPD Asst Comm Mohamad Nasir Ismail said that a police report was lodged by the victim on Sept 2, 2024, after he had been deceived by an individual offering a 35% discount on TNB bill payments.
"The scam began on July 8, when the victim contacted the suspect via phone regarding the discount offer; the suspect promised a 35% discount if the victim could find customers willing to pay their electricity bills through him," he said in a statement on Sept 4.
"Trusting the suspect's offer, the victim offered a 10% discount to customers willing to pay their electricity bills through him.
"The suspect then requested that the victim send a photo of the electricity bills," he said.
He said that the suspect then sent back falsified payment receipts, convincing the victim that the bills had been settled.
"From July 8 to Aug 27, the victim collected approximately RM207,000 from his customers and after deducting the promised 35% discount, the victim made 11 bank transfers totalling RM164,903 to five different accounts provided by the suspect.
"The fraud was uncovered when one of the customers received a message from TNB stating that their electricity bill was still outstanding," he said.
He added that the case was currently being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating.
He advised the public not to be easily deceived by fake TNB bill payment packages promising profits.
