Warisan rep files police report over delayed RM31b oil and gas project
In his report filed at the Sandakan police station, Chong claimed that his inspection of the site alongside Sri Tanjong assemblyperson Justin Wong on June 10 showed no visible construction activity.
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The Star
11-07-2025
- The Star
Girl falls prey to loan shark
KUALA LUMPUR: An underage girl fell into a trap laid by loan sharks after sharing her naked photos to secure a loan. The girl was forced to borrow from loan sharks after falling prey to a job scam and needed money to clear debts accrued. 'As a result, she borrowed RM1,000 from an online illegal moneylender. 'She was forced to share naked photos of herself as a condition for the loan,' MCA Public Services and Complaints Department head Datuk Seri Michael Chong told a press conference yesterday. On July 7, the victim's parents fork out RM1,500 to help her repay the loan sharks. However, the loan sharks demanded an additional RM15,000, stating that the repayment was 'too early' and had caused issues with their system. 'They threatened to release her naked photos on social media if the extra money was not paid,' he said. Wanita MCA Beliawanis bureau chief Ivone Low, who was also at the press conference with the girl, said it was possible that the scammers and loan sharks had been in cahoots with each other. 'I believe this happened within an ecosystem. It is a scam plus a loan shark case and the trend shows that they are aiming at youngsters,' she said. Chong said he had received at least three extortion cases that involved nude photos this year alone out of the 43 related complaints by women victims. 'This is just the tip of the iceberg,' he said. In another case, a 24-year-old woman was duped into borrowing money from loan sharks for fees to claim the prize money from a lottery win. The victim, who wished to be known as Leong, said she had to borrow money from seven loan sharks to pay the fees by a supposed 'master' who promised her that he could help her win a lottery in Singapore. 'On June 22, the master told the woman that one of his followers had purchased a lottery ticket in Singapore on her behalf. 'She paid RM1,600 for the lottery and was later told that she had won RM1,760,000,' he said. However, Chong said the woman was later informed by the master that the money was stuck due to investigations into his bank account by the authorities. 'The master told her to help him pay part of his tax payments so that her 'winnings' can be sent over to her later,' he said, adding that the victim then paid RM8,000 before paying another RM4,000.
The Star
10-07-2025
- The Star
Teen trapped by loan sharks after sharing explicit photos
KUALA LUMPUR: An underage teenager fell into a trap laid by loan sharks after sharing her explicit photos of herself to secure a loan. The girl, who was not named due to her age, attended a press conference today organised by MCA Public Services and Complaints Department head Datuk Seri Michael Chong. She was forced to resort to loan sharks after falling for a job scam and needed money to clear accrued debts. "As a result, she borrowed RM1,000 from an online loan shark. As a condition for the loan, she was forced to share explicit photos of herself," Chong said. On July 7, the victim finally had her parents help by paying RM1,500 to the loan sharks to settle the debts. However, the loan sharks demanded an additional RM15,000, stating that the previous payment was "too early" and had caused issues with "their system." "They threatened to release the explicit photos on social media if the money was not paid," he said. A second case highlighted at the press conference involved a 24-year-old woman who had been duped into borrowing money from loan sharks after paying "fees" to claim a supposed lottery win. The victim, identified as Leong, said she had to borrow money from seven loan sharks to pay the fees demanded by a supposed "master" who promised to help her win the lottery in Singapore. "On June 22, the so-called master said that one of his followers had purchased a lottery ticket in Singapore on her behalf. She paid RM1,600 for that lottery and was later told she had won RM1,760,000. "However, she was then told that the money was stuck as he was unable to send it over due to alleged investigations into his bank account and that she needed to help pay part of his tax payments to receive her 'winnings,'" he said, adding that the victim subsequently paid RM8,000 followed by an additional RM4,000.
The Star
06-07-2025
- The Star
Ex-rep turns the tables on deepfake scam ring
PETALING JAYA: With the faces of popular figures appearing in deepfake videos promoting investment scams, a former state assemblyman has deliberately stepped into the trap to expose the syndicate's tactics. Former Pasir Pinji assemblyman Datuk Chan Kam said he recently discovered that AI-generated scam videos were widely circulating on social media. 'I decided to click on one of them and enter my contact details to see what would happen. 'Soon after, I received a phone call from someone inviting me to invest in a plan. 'The caller said if I chip in US$250 (RM1,100), I could receive a return of between RM5,000 and RM20,000,' he told a press conference organised by MCA Public Services and Complaints Department head Datuk Seri Michael Chong yesterday. Chan said after transferring the money into a bank account, the scammer kept updating him daily on his supposed investment status while persuading him to invest further. But he stopped just there. Cause for concern: Chong speaking on the rise of AI-powered cheating cases in Malaysia during a press conference at Wisma MCA, Kuala Lumpur. Looking on is Chan (centre). — YAP CHEE HONG/The Star 'Obviously, the money is gone,' he said, adding that the fund was pooled by himself, Chong, and several members of the Crime Prevention Foundation and the Malaysia-China Friendship and Mutual Aid Association. Chan said he had gathered the relevant evidence and planned to lodge a police report. 'I hope that by sharing my story, more people will be cautious and not fall for these scams,' he said. Chong said deepfake videos featuring celebrities, politicians, high-ranking civil servants and prominent businessmen endorsing investment scams are increasingly being used to deceive unsuspecting investors. He cited one particularly absurd clip showing Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim speaking in English with a Tamil accent. 'It's ridiculous. Remember, there is no such thing as easy money. If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is fake,' he added. Sharing police statistics, Chong said a total of 13,956 scam cases involving RM2.11bil were reported last year, with 85% of victims lured through social media. Also present were lawyer James Ee Kah Fuk, Perak Malaysia-China Friendship and Mutual Aid Association chairman Chuah Ai Ngor, and Perak MCA Public Services and Complaints Department chief Yuen Zhan How.
