25-Year-Old Student Gets Scammed Out Of RM2,000 By Notorious Conman In Subang Jaya Mall

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The student, who goes by the alias Artem, shared his story on the Malaysian subreddit group, r/Malaysia, to talk about his experience of being conned by someone who preyed on his sympathy and kindness.

According to Artem, he was alone at a café, enjoying his drink when a man approached him and sat next to him, asking for help. The man claimed he had lost his wallet at a light rail transit station (LRT) in USJ and had no means to access his hotel room, where he claimed all his important documents were.

The man addressed himself as Kumaran and pestered Artem to help him. He even went as far as to shed tears and beg for the student to give him RM300, even after Artem persistently told him "no" multiple times.

The conman even produced a police report he had allegedly made for his missing wallet to prove he was telling the truth.

"He was very persistent, even though I declined him several times. He had a thick face and was willing to sacrifice his dignity by crying," Artem said in an interview with SAYS.

"I was scared that he would injure me if I refused to give him the money. I [couldn't] predict his next move so it's best to just follow his demands," Artem said.

However, upon seeing that the student had more than RM2,000 in savings, Kumaran changed his tune and requested RM2,000, promising to return twice the money he borrowed.

Kumaran also asked for Artem to go to an ATM machine to withdraw the money in cash, which Artem was very hesitant to do, fearing that it was a tactic to kidnap or harm him.

However, the conman did not back down and even agreed to the student's suggestion that they bring a security guard along if it made Artem feel safer.

Unfortunately, no security guard in the mall was willing to follow the pair.

In the end, Artem withdrew RM2,000 and passed it to Kumaran, only for the conman to take the money and disappear immediately.

Kumaran never did return the money he promised to Artem, let alone twice the amount.

Unfortunately, the police inspector informed Artem that his case may take months or even years to resolve because they need to launch an investigation into the individual.

The police inspector also confirmed that the police report that Kumaran used during the incident was fake.

Artem told SAYS that he was psychologically affected by the incident. It left a huge hole in his pocket as he is currently unemployed and a full-time student.

"The RM2,000 I [lost] was actually from my Perbadanan Tabung Pendidikan Tinggi Nasional (PTPTN) savings account. Which means I now have a debt of RM15,000 that needs to be paid back to PTPTN,"

According to the Reddit thread, Artem is not Kumaran's first victim as some have claimed that he has been doing the same scam for years.

Additionally, following a post on Lowyat.net dated June 2012, an anonymous individual posted alleged details about the suspect, including his fake aliases, false identification numbers, and the locations where he was last seen.

"Many people scolded me and said I was dumb, including my family members, because I gave a stranger free money without being cautious and thinking through it. I can't stop blaming myself. Why am I so dumb to believe a stranger that I just met? My heart is filled with sadness, pain, and regret," Artem lamented.

Despite many individuals berating him, Artem appreciated everyone who commented on his Reddit post.