Police nab couple who scammed healthcare frontliners

KUALA LUMPUR, 28 Sept 2020:

Police have detained a married couple suspected of being involved in a luxury hotel accommodation scam targeting frontliners in a raid at a homestay in Ampang near here last Thursday.

Sungai Buloh district police chief Supt Shafa’aton Abu Bakar said the husband and wife, aged 26 and 27 respectively, were nabbed after receiving a report on Sept 13 from a nurse – who worked at a government hospital and was a victim of the couple.

Shafa’aton said the victim learned about an advertisement in a WhatsApp group for overnight accommodation that offers breakfast at a leading hotel in Port Dickson for a package priced between RM88 and RM499 per night.

“The victim then contacted the suspects’ company and was offered to become an agent with a commission of 10 per cent by distributing package advertisements to her colleagues,” she said in a press conference here today.

The victim received 26 bookings from her colleagues and had made a payment of over RM7,000 to the company’s bank account and was issued receipts for open booking at any time, she said.

She said that the victim only realised she had been duped after checking with the hotel involved and found that no accommodation bookings were made by the company.

“Investigations found that the suspects have been active since last September using the company name, I & I Paradise Venture, where most of the victims are frontliners.

“As at Sept 30, police received 30 reports involving the same case with a loss value of RM26,193,” she said, adding the unemployed couple have been remanded until tomorrow.

In SHAH ALAM, police have solved 69 cases of travel package scams involving losses of more than half a million ringgit with the arrest of two directors of a company called ‘I&I Paradise Venture’ last Friday.

Selangor Commercial CID chief ACP Muhammad Yazid Muhammad Yew said the arrest of the suspects, a married couple aged 27 and 26, was made following several reports lodged on their activities, received since Sept 13.

“A check found that both suspects do not have previous criminal records. As of last Friday, a total of 69 police reports had been received in connection with tourism package scam in which 519 individuals became victims involving losses amounting to RM610,993.

Of the total police reports, 30 were made in Sungai Buloh with seven each in Gombak and Ampang Jaya districts and the other areas included Petaling Jaya (10), Subang Jaya (three), Shah Alam (six), Sepang, (two) and Kajang ( four),” he said in a statement today.

Muhammad Yazid said investigation into the two suspects was carried out under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating which provides a jail term of between one and 10 years with whipping and fines, if convicted.

Therefore, he said, the public is advised to be more careful about any cheap travel package offers and always check with the hotel management and the authorities to confirm the status of the company or agent involved.

– Bernama