(From left) Liew, Tan and Kuan at the press conference.
A SENIOR citizen lost almost RM8,000 in cash and jewellery after getting scammed by three women.
The victim, a 72-year-old housewife who wanted to be known as Tan, said it happened on the morning of May 5 when she was buying groceries at the morning market in Puchong Indah.
“I was buying meat when two women, in their 60s, appeared next to me and asked the stall owner where they could buy red ginger, known for its healing properties.
“I told them there was a stall nearby that sold it and we started a conversation on the benefits of red ginger.
“They also told me they knew someone who lived nearby who had it, so the three of us left the market and walked towards a petrol station about 100m away,” she said.
She added that another woman in her 30s arrived in a car at the petrol station.
She apparently was their friend and it was her grandfather who had the red ginger.
“She revealed some things she knew about my children, one of which was the death of my son. I suspect her two accomplices briefed her via phone messaging while we walked from the market,” said Tan.
The woman, she said, added that her son’s death was because Tan did something wrong and she needed to “cleanse” her money and jewellery.
“She told me to withdraw money from the bank.
“I drove to two banks and withdrew RM6,000, and later removed the jewellery I wore worth about RM2,000, and another RM500 that was in my wallet, and put them in a bag,” she said.
When she returned to the petrol station, the three women took the valuables and put them in a cloth bag.
They then got in her car, claiming they had “chanted prayers” and told her to chant as well.“Before leaving, they told me not to open the bag for a few days.
“I went home and felt something was wrong. I checked the bag and saw my valuables were gone and there were only two mineral water bottles in it.”
Tan lodged a report at the Bukit Puchong police station the same day.
She also sought the help of the Puchong Community Social and Welfare Association.
At a press conference association chairman Liew Yew Fook said there was a scourge of syndicates comprising women preying on lone, elderly people.
“Many senior citizens are getting scammed. We urge the public to beware of them,” he said.
Community Policing Malaysia founder Kuan Chee Heng said the syndicates, mostly involving foreigners, were well trained in scamming people.
“We have had so many similar cases and these scammers target the morning markets because the banks are open during those hours.”
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