LETTERS: It was recently reported that a retired teacher lost nearly RM250,000 to a scam syndicate posing as a home cleaning agency.
The retiree, 59, saw an advert on Facebook for a home cleaning agency and contacted an unknown individual through WhatsApp.
The individual told the retired teacher to access a certain website and register her details. The retiree followed the instructions but encountered problems in the web payment transaction.
However, the bank later told the teacher that a few withdrawals had been made from her account. The staggering amount lost is enough to send shivers down our spines.
Most of the victims of such scams do not consult their banks when making huge withdrawals until it's too late.
The onus is on the depositors and banks to cap the amount of withdrawals.
Limiting the sum and frequency of withdrawals can protect the depositor.
There should be more awareness about the dangers of revealing personal details to others without verifying the identity of the other party — be it a company or an individual.
We need to come up with a foolproof system to prevent withdrawals by unscrupulous individuals.
SAMUEL YESUIAH
Seremban, Negri Sembilan
The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of the New Straits Times
