“Always be careful of who you meet online.”
We’ve always been told that since we were younger because you’ll never know who the other person is. He or she may not be who they say they are, and it’s scary how scams are still so often these days.
In today’s world where we see so many job postings online because that’s how most of us find jobs now instead of going door-to-door, it’s probably not odd to apply for one through the internet.
While it has become a lot more convenient, it has also made way for more internet scams.
Sadly, one Malaysian girl fell victim to such a scam despite her bringing her boyfriend along because she was afraid that things might go awry.
The Modelling Job Posting
It all started when a 23-year-old Malaysian woman was offered a modelling job for RM3,000 (~S$983) on Facebook in the Johor capital. Excited by this newfound job, she accepted it despite still being slightly wary.
Instead of making the trip down to Johor alone, she asked her 20-year-old boyfriend to tag along as a safety precaution and together, they drove in a Perodua Myvi that belonged to their friend. They stopped by Pontian to pick up the man who had offered the job and continued their journey to their destination in Lima Kedai.
But instead of using GPS, they followed the man’s instructions, only to find themselves at a dead-end at around 1.30pm that day.
Seeing as to how the couple was now trapped, the man pulled out a machete and forced the lady’s boyfriend to get in the boot of the car. With no choice but to follow his instructions, her boyfriend did as he was told and she was later sexually assaulted. The man was even sick enough to record the act on his mobile phone.
After he had his fun, he drove to an oil plantation in Pontian, left them there and drove off in their Myvi. He also made sure to tell them not to report the incident to the police because he will distribute the video that he took.
Aftermath
Despite his threats, the couple went ahead and reported the incident, according to Iskandar Puteri district police chief Assistant Commissioner Dzulkhairi Mukhtar.
He later also shared that other than the emotional trauma that the couple suffered, they also lost a total of RM60,000 (~S$19,659) including the Myvi.
I sincerely hope that the couple gets the help that they need for the trauma that they’ve suffered and that the man gets prosecuted so that justice can be served.
