Desperate M'sians In S'pore Allegedly Paid Up To RM617 For Fake VTL Tickets
Hundreds of Malaysians have reportedly been taken advantage of, especially those who were desperate to return home to visit relatives or parents who are ill or have passed away.
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Hundreds of Malaysians working in Singapore who were desperate to return home have allegedly fallen victim to a scam linked to fake Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) bus tickets
A police report was lodged yesterday, 1 March, by Malaysia-Singapore Workers Task Force (PEMAS) chairman S Dayalan at the Johor Bahru Selatan district police headquarters.
"The tickets sold almost look authentic, causing many to be convinced, and [making] reservations through the third party," he explained to reporters after making the report.
According to him, PEMAS has been receiving hundreds of complaints from Malaysians in Singapore since more than a month ago, saying that "this is getting out of control".
S Dayalan shows a police report on the fraudulent sale of VTL tickets bought by Malaysians in Singapore at the Johor Bahru Selatan district police headquarters.
Image via Utusan Malaysia
Not only did the victims pay for bus tickets at multiple times the original price, but they also only realised the tickets were fake on the day they were supposed to head home itself
Dayalan said the tickets — originally costing S$15 (about RM46) — were being sold to unknowing Malaysians for between S$100 (around RM309) and S$200 (RM617) a piece. He added that the tickets were bought online through a third party site and promoted on Facebook.
"However, after paying the requested amount of money, they only found out that the ticket was fake when the Singaporean authorities checked the list of names of travellers allowed on the day," reported Kosmo!
"This is not a small matter because many Malaysians have been deceived, especially those who are desperate to return home to visit relatives or parents who are ill or have passed away."
He also questioned why the number of travellers who left from Singapore via land VTL did not meet the quota set, while tickets were said to have sold out
Dayalan stated that PEMAS received a report from the Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) Complex stating that only about 150 to 200 travellers from Singapore enter Malaysia on a daily basis when the quota set was actually around 1,000 travellers a day.
He hopes the authorities can step in and investigate the matter thoroughly.
Since the report was lodged, Johor police chief Datuk Kamarul Zaman Mamat has said a detailed investigation is being carried out.
Investigators will seek the assistance of the Singapore Police Force to probe the case, reported The Edge Malaysia.
You can find out more details from his meeting with the media here:
Many Malaysians have finally been able to reunite with their loved ones after Malaysia-Singapore borders reopened for the first time since the pandemic began:
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