9 Common Online Scams Every Malaysian Should Be Aware Of By Now

Know how to spot scams that are too good to be true.

1. The Rental Scam. Common in classifieds sites and forums.

Modus operandi: The conmen usually advertise incredible properties at attractive rents in exclusive areas. They will then trick the target by asking them to transfer their deposits and rental advances through money transfer agencies such as Western Union.
-says.com

Example: Sisters Alexandra, 19, and Zaire Sheppard, 18, from Holloway wanted to leave home and rent their own flat. They spotted an advert on the Gumtree website for a two-bedroom apartment in Belgrove Street close to King’s Cross. The cost was £650 per month plus a deposit of £700. They emailed the owner ‘Lin Dong’ who told Alexandra that he had trouble with tenants before and he wanted proof that they could afford the rent and deposit. So he asked Alexandra to send a payment of £1350 through Western Union, not to him, but to a trusted friend or relative. All ‘Lin Dong’ asked for was a scanned copy of the transfer payment receipt so that he could verify that she had the available funds.
-bbc.co.uk

Alexandra sent the payment to her sister Zaire, through a Western Union franchise in Golders Green and then emailed the receipt to ‘Lin Dong’. The transfer document clearly stated that the ‘Receiver’ was Zaire Sheppard. That was the last Alexandra heard from ‘Lin Dong’… because sometime after sending the money, a fraudster, with fake ID, pretending to be Zaire Sheppard walked into a Western Union office somewhere in the world with the scanned receipt and took the money. Alexandra said: “I was put off my guard because I was not asked to send the money directly to Lin Dong – I sent the money to my sister.”
-bbc.co.uk

What you should do:
1. Always ensure that you arrange for an on-the-site tour of the said property.
2. Check out the rental rates of other properties to see the going rate. If the rate is much lower than the average rate, it probably is a scam.
3. Run a Google image search on the property photos.
-says.com

2. The Romance Scam. Common in online dating sites and social networks.
3. The Nigerian Fraud Scheme. Common in emails and social networks.
4. The Auction And Merchandise Scam. Common in auction sites such as eBay.
5. The Credit Card Scam. Common in fake websites mimicking banks.
6. The Lottery Scam. Common in emails and social network sites.
7. The Overpayment Scam. Common in auction and classifieds sites.
8. The Charity Scam. Common in emails, social networks, and websites.
9. The Share And Win Scam. Common in social network sites.

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