Fake hotel booking job on Facebook costs Petaling Jaya woman RM51,666

1. What happened1/4

   A 37-year-old woman lost RM51,666 to a Facebook job ad

   A woman in Petaling Jaya found a Facebook ad titled "New Career Opportunity" on 31 October. It promised 10% commission for every hotel booking task completed.

   She contacted the advertiser via WhatsApp, then followed a website link to make bookings. Over 13 transactions she paid RM52,725 into four different bank accounts, expecting refunds plus commission.

   Only RM1,059.30 came back. When she asked for the rest, the contact demanded more payments instead. She filed a police report at Balai Polis Sea Park last Wednesday. ACP Shamsudin Mamat, OCPD Petaling Jaya, confirmed the case is investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code (cheating).

2. The real numbers2/4

   The money trail: 13 payments, four accounts, almost nothing returned

   RM51,666net loss after refund

   13 transactionsto 4 different bank accounts

   10%commission promised per task

   The victim made 13 separate transfers to four bank accounts. The total out was RM52,725. The refund she actually received was RM1,059.30, leaving a net loss of RM51,666.

3. 

4. Why it matters3/4

   What happened in this case, step by step

   In this case, the scam followed a clear sequence: a Facebook ad titled "New Career Opportunity" → WhatsApp contact → a website link for "booking tasks" → payments into bank accounts → a small partial refund → a demand for more payments.

   She contacted the advertiser via WhatsApp, with no formal interview or company verification mentioned in the report. The contact sent a website link and told her to make payments into different bank accounts to "complete tasks," with the promise that her payment plus 10% commission would be returned.

   She received a partial refund of RM1,059.30, which may have encouraged her to continue paying. After 13 transactions totalling RM52,725, she asked for the remaining money back. The contact ignored her request and kept demanding additional payments.

   The four bank accounts are likely controlled by the scam network to move money quickly, though the police report does not specify their nature. There is no real hotel or booking platform behind the website link.

5. What to do, step by step4/4

   If you or someone you know paid a fake job contact

   Speed matters. The sooner the money is flagged, the better the chance of freezing it before it moves through multiple accounts.

   1. Call the National Scam Response Centre (NSRC) at 997 immediately. Tell them the bank account numbers you paid into and the amount per transaction.
   2. Contact your own bank's fraud hotline to report the transfers. Ask them to flag the recipient accounts and request a trace.
   3. File a police report at the nearest balai polis. Bring screenshots of the Facebook ad, the WhatsApp chat, the website link, and all bank transfer receipts.
   4. Do not send any more money, even if the contact asks for another payment to release your refund. In this case, the contact kept demanding additional payments after the victim asked for her money back.
6. 1. 01/01

      RM51,666net loss after refund

      The money trail: 13 payments, four accounts, almost nothing returned

      net loss after refund

Source: Bank Negara Malaysia · Malaysiatribune.news