Scratch & win scam: syndicate reaps RM93,320 in three months

Some thirteen cases of scratch and win scam involving RM93,320 have been reported in Johor Bahru for the first three months of this year.

All the reported cases revealed that the syndicate uses the same modus operandi and the syndicate is operating from an office located in Taman Molek, Johor Bahru.

The syndicate is now recruiting young students to work as part time sales canvasser to target foreign visitors especially Singaporeans who are here to do shopping.

These young sales canvassers are strategically stationed near shopping malls in the city to lure potential foreign victims especially Singaporeans, said Kua Song Tuck, the Johor Bahru MCA youth chief.

Foreign visitors including Singaporeans are easy preys as most are not aware of such scam., he said.

He added that even though the police has taken some actions against the sales canvassers but after short awhile these sales canvassers will reappear and the cycle goes on.

The police make take more drastic actions against the syndicate or else if the scam goes abated, it will portray a negative image for the city, said Kuain a press conference held at the southern chinese press club here yesterday.

A victim of the scratch and win scam, Ng Wai Leng, 44, said that she lost RM14,075 in the scam after being lured by the offer of winning thousands ringgit worth of products.

She said initially she only pitied the young students who work as part time sales canvasser who claimed that they are being paid on a commission basis and she just wanted to help these young students.

The young sales canvassers said they are paid RM2 for each coupon that a customer scratched by the ‘company’ and they needed the income to pay for their school fee but at the same time, Ng admitted that she was also lured by the attractive prizes.

I was finally convinced by these young sales canvassers when they showed me a photograph of a police officer with his winning prizes.

Ng said she only received a microwave oven, water filter system, gas cooker and a inferior quality pebble stone mattress.