Teen couple nabbed over gold purchase scam worth RM98,921

KUANTAN: Police arrested a pair of teenage lovebirds believed to have edited the slip of an online money transfer transaction, causing a gold trading cooperative to lose RM98,921 in a sale via WhatsApp application.

Pahang Commercial CID chief Supt Mohd Wazir Mohd Yusof said the male suspect was arrested at 11.45 pm at a house in Dungun, Terengganu which in turn led to the arrest of a female suspect at her house in the same district.

The male suspect is 18 years old while his girlfriend is 19 years old, both unemployed.

"The male suspect is believed to have edited the bank transaction slip by using the PDF application before sending it to the cooperative agent who managed the sales of the jewellery allegedly as proof that he has made the payment.

"The female suspect is understood to have played the role of the recipient of the jewellery which was sent using the services of a delivery company," he told reporters here yesterday.

Mohd Wazir said the male was also suspected of using copies of identity cards belonging to several women, obtained from his father, an agent of an investment company, without the man's knowledge, when dealing with the cooperative agent.

The suspect is believed to have committed the scam between Oct 30 to Nov 11 before his activities were detected by the cooperative treasurer while reviewing the bank account on Nov 16 when he noticed that no payment was credited.

Apart from Pahang, the suspect is also believed to have committed similar scams involving gold shops in Bandar Baru Bangi, Selangor and Jitra, Kedah.

"We also believe the male suspect once rented a car to go to Kuantan to pick up the jewellery from the cooperative agent by disguising himself as a woman wearing a headscarf (tudung) and face mask to hide his identity," he said.

The car rental receipt was among the items seized at the male suspect's house in Kemaman, Terengganu along with 13 jewellery purchase receipts, online money transfer transaction slip (seven pieces), a gold scale, a laptop and printer, four smartphones and RM1,150 cash.

Further investigation is conducted under Section 420 of the Penal Code which provides for a maximum jail term of 10 years and whipping and liable to be fined, if convicted.

-- BERNAMA