Fake job victims forced to become scammers

KUANTAN - Offers of high-paying jobs in the hotel industry abroad was among the modus operandi of a syndicate to lure Malaysians to other countries before they were being recruited as a member of the syndicate.

Pahang police chief Datuk Ramli Mohamed Yoosuf said the jobs did not exist and the offers were actually a bait to land victims into becoming a Macau scam ‘mule’ which operates outside of the country.

He said victims were promised jobs with lucrative salary at new hotels, overseas.

“However, they (scammers) would say that the said hotel was still under construction and showed some photos (to the victims) as proof of the job opportunity offered.

“The job offers which was non-existent would usually be sent through the WhatsApp application to trick the victims especially those who were desperate for a job,” he said.

He said this when met after the handover ceremony of the appointment of exco members of the Pahang Malaysian Crime Prevention Foundation (MCPF), here, on Monday.

Also present were MCPF vice-chairman Datuk Seri Ayub Yaakob, Pahang Crime Prevention and Community Safety Department (JPJKK) chief Senior Assistant Commissioner Noor Hisam Nordin and Pahang MCPF chairman Datuk Yong Kim Hong.

Ramli said those who receive such job offers are advised to conduct further research on the job.

"Do not accept the offer if you have doubts because there is a potential that the offer is a tactic to recruit Malaysians to become a scammer," he said.

He said the issue was something that required attention and that steps needed to be taken to prevent anyone else from falling victim of the scam.

"In a few cases that have been reported in this country, the victims that went abroad after accepting the job offer are now missing and their family members have lodged a police report. However, there has been no such reports received in Pahang as of now," he said.

He said people in this country needed to be given awareness on the matter to avoid becoming a victim.