KUALA LUMPUR: The scam case involving mixed doubles shuttler Lai Pei Jing should serve as a stark reminder that nobody is safe from scammers.
That is the view of sports analyst Datuk Dr Pekan Ramli, who believes all Malaysians must be wary of offers that come their way, even from people they know.
Pei Jing, in a post on social media yesterday, claimed she had been scammed of almost all her life savings by a fraud group but did not divulge any details.
"When I first heard about it, I was quite surprised as we rarely hear about athletes getting scammed," said Pekan when contacted today.
"In general there are two types of scammers: those who try their luck with everyone, and those who target certain groups.
"They target people who they know have a lot of money, such as those who have recently retired or in this case, athletes.
"In this day and age, we always have to be careful with anything that is offered to us.
"We have to be careful even when dealing with our own friends and relatives. Never let your guard down."
Pekan added that anti-scam awareness and education campaigns should be done for athletes, as their life savings could be wiped out in an instance through scams, as has happened with Pei Jing.
"Unfortunately in Malaysia, only after something happens do we think about prevention," said Pekan.
"In addition to anti-doping campaigns, I believe the sporting authorities should also implement awareness and education programmes to prevent athletes from getting scammed. This should go in line with the Safe Sports Code.
"Athletes' competitive careers are relatively short and their savings are important for after they have retired. We have to take care of their welfare."
Pei Jing disclosed that she is working closely with the authorities on the case.
Pei Jing and partner Tan Kian Meng are currently ranked No. 23 in the world.
