JOHOR BARU: A foreign company based in China was cheated of RM2.6 million in an elaborate scam involving the purchase of frozen Musang King durian.
The case came to light after its manager, a Chinese national, lodged a police report in Johor.
The victim made online transfers to a bank based in Johor Baru on July 5.
However, the promised delivery never arrived.
He was duped into believing that the scammer, also a Chinese national, had the necessary Approved Permit (AP) from a Malaysian fruit import-export company to facilitate the transaction.
The deal involved the purchase of 3,840 cartons of frozen Musang King durians, valued at RMB 4.3 million (RM2.6 million).
Johor police chief Datuk M. Kumar said the company transferred the full payment into a Malaysian-registered company account, as instructed by the suspect.
The company was assured that the frozen durians would be delivered within one month after the July 5 payment transfer.
After several weeks, the victim grew suspicious, with no shipment arriving in China and failed attempts to contact the suspect.
Efforts to locate the company linked to the AP permit revealed that it had no dealings with Chinese companies, further confirming that he had been cheated.
The victim then travelled to Malaysia to lodge a police report, as the suspect had used a Malaysian-based company's bank account.
Police are investigating the case under Section 420 for cheating and Section 411 of the Penal Code for handling stolen property.
The offence carries a maximum penalty of ten years' jail, caning and a fine if convicted.
Kumar urged the public to remain cautious when dealing with unfamiliar individuals or companies, particularly in large transactions.
"Verify the credentials and background of the companies through relevant authorities such as the Agriculture and Food Security Ministry before making payments to avoid falling prey to fraud," he said.
He also advised scam victims to contact the National Scam Response Centre (NSRC) at 997 immediately to block the flow of funds from the suspect's accounts.