A couple in Pasir Panjang, Negeri Sembilan, were left stunned after discovering that their tenant had allegedly turned their house into an illegal Bitcoin mining operation without their knowledge.
Noor Shahida Mohd Zain, 33, and her husband, Norisam Ahmad Saidi, 34, made the discovery after renting out their home in Taman Sengkang for nine months.
Speaking to Sinar Harian on Wednesday, Noor Shahida said she became concerned after reading about another victim who faced a claim from Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) after their property was allegedly used for Bitcoin mining.
Her worries grew when neighbours told her that the house had appeared unoccupied since January, with no one seen entering or leaving the premises.
“We then decided to check the house and informed the tenant, but he gave the excuse that he was in Sabah,” she said.
Although the tenant claimed to be away, the couple decided to visit the property. They first lodged a police report to avoid any unwanted incidents and provided officers with the house address and a copy of the tenant’s identity card.
However, they were shocked when police informed them that the identity card details did not exist in the National Registration Department’s (JPN) system.
Noor Shahida said police also revealed that a Bitcoin mining case had been reported near their home about a week earlier. Officers subsequently agreed to escort the couple to the property.
Upon arrival, they found additional padlocks on the doors and a closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera installed at the front of the house. Police had to break the locks before discovering equipment believed to have been used for Bitcoin mining upstairs.
“I don’t know when the tenant started doing this. We never suspected anything and thought he was a tenant sent from heaven because he never caused us any problems,” she said.
The couple had rented out the house for RM1,200 a month, and the tenant had never been late with his payments. Meanwhile, the electricity bill was only around RM10 a month.
However, the rent was paid through a cash deposit machine, and the couple had met the tenant only once, when he first viewed the property. He also paid the rental deposit in cash after agreeing to take the house.
Noor Shahida said she was now worried that she could be held responsible for electricity charges claimed by TNB arising from the alleged illegal operation, which she said had been carried out without her knowledge.
“I never knew what Bitcoin was. After this happened, I searched online and discovered that many others had become victims,” she said.
