:Lady fall prey to money scam

TAWAU, Members of the public is asked not to fall into scams which promises money as there is yet another case recorded by the district police of a lady victim who parted with at least RM4,680 over claim that she had won RM156,000 in a Hong Kong game shown shown at Astro.

Acting district police chief Supt. Haji Ramli Ali Mat said that the victim in her early twenties lodged a police report yesterday that she had bank-in money into two separate accounts as required by the so called organizer of the event.

Ramli said that the scam began when the lady was called through her house telephone by unidentified lady claiming that she had won the amount after a draw on June 30 was made through the show where her Astro number was picked.

`The caller identified herself as employee of a firm called Farmosa based in Hong Kong and stated that the victim had won simply by watching the show and her Astro number came was drawn’, he explained.

Believing in the scam, the victim was told to deposit RM4,680 into an account in a bank here but was again asked to bank-in another undisclosed amount at another bank days later in which the victim complied.

He said that the victim was told that the second deposit was made to pay tax to the Hong Kong government for the amount she would be receiving.

Ramli said that the victim was told to wait for a few days but no call came forth and the report was made.

In another development, a young lady fought off a suspect handbag snatcher yesterday by biting the suspect in the arm and members of the public caught the suspect after a brief chase.

Ramli said that the lady came down from a bus yesterday and was walking at mile 5 Apas road when suddenly the suspect came from the front and snatched her purse around 6.30 pm. The victim put up a fight and later bid the suspect in one arm forcing the suspect to let go of the purse and fled.

`The victim scream for help and members of the public gave chase and the suspect was apprehended around 100 meters from the crime scene.

In yet another case, a lady in her early forties lost her handbag due to negligence after she placed the bag on the floor of her shop at Billian road around 3.30pm and found it missing moment later. Ramli said that the victim claimed two men unknown to her entered her shop and one began making enquiries over the goods on sales while another sat at a chair within the shop and the bag containing identification cards, handphone Nokia 6500 and bank cards , driving license and a necklace worth a total of around RM6,500 went missing after the duo left the shop.