Viral Message Warns People In KL To Beware Of 'Push-Pocket' Scam
However, the police have yet to receive any reports on such incidents.
By Tang Ruxyn — 24 Aug 2017, 04:46 PM
A message about a scam that is said to be rampant in Kuala Lumpur has been making its rounds on social media
It is said that many people in Kuala Lumpur have fallen for a scam known as "push-pocket", where perpetrators trick and accuse unsuspecting victims of being a thief to extort money from them.
Here's how it works, according to the message that allegedly originated by a law firm in Malaysia - the culprits would slip in items such as mobile phones, wallets with an identification card or some cash into the targeted victim's pocket.
Someone would then approach the victim and claim to be the owner of that item that was slipped into the pocket. In some cases, another person would even come forward and claim to have "witnessed" your theft.
The culprit would then make a huge commotion, before offering a settlement by asking the victim to pay a sum of money. If the victim refuses, the culprit would threaten to report the matter to the authorities.
The message stated that this happened frequently at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) or even in the LRT trains
The message claims that travellers who have just arrived at KLIA would be targeted, as the culprit would throw a handphone and wallet with a few ringgit notes into the victims' luggage trolley instead of their pockets.
The rest of the modus operandi remains the same where the mastermind would threaten to call the police if a victim refuses to comply with their demands for "settlement".
"The sickening part of the whole scenario is that unless you pay the 'quoted settlement' money, they (push-pocket perpetrators) will put you in real trouble by calling the police," read the message.
The police have urged victims to come forward to make reports if such things have happened to them
Sepang deputy police chief Supt Baharuddin Mat Taib said that the police viewed the warnings made viral on social media seriously.
"However, the police have yet to receive any complaints or reports on push-pocket incidents," he was quoted as saying in the report by Bernama today, 24 August.
The national news agency reported that warnings on push-pocket scams have been circulating on the Internet since 2009. It is believed that the message has made a comeback on social media recently, which triggered fear among the public about such incidents.