By Dayangku Hidayatul

Copyright dayakdaily

By Dayangku Hidayatul

KUCHING, Sept 27: An 18-year-old teenager lost over RM6,000 in less than 10 days after falling victim to an online loan scam advertised on Facebook.

Sarawak United Peoples’ Party (SUPP) Public Complaints Bureau (PCB) chief Milton Foo said the victim, known as Bong, initially needed capital to start his own business.

Bong then clicked on a loan advertised on Facebook, which redirected him to WhatsApp, and then applied for a RM1,500 loan.

“On the 18th, at 9.23am, I searched for a loan on Facebook amounting RM1,500, then I contacted him (scammer).

“He asked me to provide personal information, Identity Card (IC), photo, bank account, water bill, electric bill, Facebook main page and three emergency contacts including my parents and my friend,” Bong told reporters during a press conference held at the SUPP headquarters today.

Instead of approving the full loan, the scammer only transferred RM400 and claimed the rest was deducted for “legal fees” and “stamp duty”.

When the victim tried to reject the offer and return the money, the scammer refused and began threatening him.

The scammer demanded repayment of RM2,000 within two days, warning that failure to comply would bring harm to the victim and his family.

They also leaked personal details including the IC, address and phone numbers of the victim’s mother and her siblings, raising serious concerns about data breaches.

Out of fear for his safety, Bong turned to more online lenders, plunging further into debt. In just 10 days, he approached five loan groups, receiving only a few hundred ringgits while ultimately losing over RM6,000.

The case has left his mother distressed, as the scammer sent intimidating messages to her and her sisters making them fear for their safety.

Foo expressed his concern over how the scammers could access such sensitive personal information, noting that normally only the national registration office would have these details.

“Since he provided his parents’ names, they could easily obtain their IC numbers from anywhere. How they did it remains a big question mark. These fraudulent groups are incredibly powerful.

“In the end, the total loss exceeded RM6,000. There’s no real loan here—you try to get a bank loan, and you end up paying more than ten times the amount,” he added.

He reminded the public never to apply for loans through social media or WhatsApp, stressing that legitimate loans must be done at official bank counters with proper agreements and verification. — DayakDaily