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Imagine checking your bank account and finding RM2.4 million sitting inside, money you know isn't yours
That's the situation a 26-year-old Malaysian says he found himself in after accepting what he believed was a legitimate customer service job.
The man, identified only as Jay, claimed he later discovered that a bank account opened in his name for what he was told would be salary payments had allegedly been used by a scam syndicate to move RM2.4 million.
Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, 2 July, Jay said the incident began when he received a seemingly genuine job offer, according to Harian Metro.
He said the 'company' even provided accommodation and meals while recruits underwent a week-long training programme before officially starting work.
"They gave us accommodation and provided food. They said we had to undergo a week of training for the company. During that week, they asked us to open a bank account supposedly for salary."
However, during the training, Jay said he grew suspicious and wanted to quit the programme, but was persuaded to stay.
After the training ended, he said he was told his bank account application had not been successful. He claimed company representatives then took him to three other banks to open additional accounts.
The company vanished days after training ended
Jay said the training concluded at the end of April, after which he waited for the company to contact him about starting work.
Instead, he said the people behind the company disappeared.
"Three or four days later, everyone disappeared. Even their WhatsApp only showed one tick."
Unable to reach anyone, Jay began investigating on his own.
That was when he allegedly discovered that a company had been registered under his name without his knowledge, listing him as its owner.
After checking records with the Companies Commission of Malaysia (SSM), he contacted the company secretary whose phone number was listed.
According to Jay, the company secretary told him they had also been detained over a similar case.
He said his identity was also used to open phone lines and Internet accounts
Further checks allegedly uncovered even more problems.
Jay claimed two Internet service accounts had been registered under his name, with cancellation penalties amounting to around RM14,000 if he wished to terminate the 24-month contracts.
He also claimed that several bank accounts had been opened in his name at banks he had never physically visited.
According to Jay, he later discovered that one of those accounts had allegedly been used to move RM2.4 million.
He further claimed his identity had been used to register five mobile phone numbers, which were then allegedly used to scam other victims.
Jay said he never suspected anything was amiss because the training appeared legitimate, and all the trainees were staying together throughout the programme.
Meanwhile, the secretary-general of the Malaysian International Humanitarian Organisation (MHO), Datuk Hishammuddin Hashim, said the organisation will assist Jay in lodging a police report as soon as possible.
