A local man lost RM12,790 after clicking on a food ordering advertisement on social media, in what police believe was an online scam involving malicious software.
Miri police chief Assistant Commissioner Mohd Farhan Lee said the victim was browsing social media when he came across an online food ordering advertisement and clicked on the link provided to place an order.
Shortly after accessing the link, the victim’s mobile phone suddenly went blank and could no longer function normally, raising his suspicions.
The victim later contacted his bank and discovered that four unauthorised transactions had been carried out from his account to several unknown bank accounts, resulting in losses totalling RM12,790.
Following the incident, the victim lodged a police report, and investigations are now underway to determine how the scam was carried out, identify the methods used by the suspects and trace the flow of the stolen funds.
Mohd Farhan said the case highlighted how cybercriminals are increasingly disguising malicious links as online sales promotions or food ordering advertisements to trick victims into downloading malware or granting unauthorised access to their devices.
He advised the public to avoid clicking on links received through advertisements, messages or social media unless their authenticity can be verified, warning that such links could expose users to cyber fraud and financial losses.
