Police are tracking down three individuals suspected of using a so-called “pukau” tactic to cheat a 70-year-old retired civil servant of jewellery valued at approximately RM10,000.
The incident took place at about 11am yesterday at a shopping centre along Jalan Pandan Prima.
Ampang Jaya district police chief Khairul Anuar Khalid said the victim was approached by a married couple and another woman believed to be an Indonesian national.
According to him, the suspects claimed they were in possession of a lottery ticket worth RM300,000 but were unable to redeem it as they did not have identification documents. They allegedly sought the elderly woman’s assistance and promised her a reward in return.
“The foreign woman then held the victim, causing her to feel as though she had been hypnotised,” he said in a statement today.
Under the influence of the trio, the victim agreed to help and was taken away in a Proton Waja driven by the suspects.
While inside the vehicle, one of them claimed that the lottery ticket had already been exchanged for a cheque, which the victim was asked to cash on their behalf. The suspects then demanded a RM30,000 deposit as a guarantee to ensure she would not run off with the cheque.
As she did not have the requested amount in cash, the victim handed over a gold necklace and bracelet worth about RM10,000 as collateral.
She was later dropped off at the Ampang Point Maybank branch to cash the cheque. However, once she exited the vehicle, the three suspects fled, leaving her without the jewellery.
Police are investigating the case and urge members of the public to remain vigilant against similar scams, particularly those involving offers of easy rewards or requests for financial guarantees.
