Isu Hangat: Fooled by credit card 'agent'

Nation

Wednesday April 4, 2007

JOHOR BARU: Four hotel workers were duped into giving photocopies of their MyKad and payslips to a man who claimed to be a credit card agent from a local bank.

The man, who went to their workplace in November, told them that they could apply for a credit card by paying a registration fee of RM200 each. The fee was then reduced to RM50 after further negotiations.

"We were fooled into believing him as it was the first time that we were applying for a credit card and we thought it was a good offer," said Lim Ting Hub, 29.

Lesson for all: The four victims listening to Tay (background) as he relates their story to newsmen.

He said after a month of waiting, they grew suspicious.

"We called him every day but he would assure us that we would receive it soon.

"After five months, the agent suddenly told us that our application had been rejected," he said.

"The man had told us that our pay of RM2,000 was not a problem as he could arrange for the cards without any conditions," Lim said, adding that they had lodged a police report.

The victims, in their 20s and 30s, were concerned about the photocopies of their MyKad and payslips.

"We do not care about the money or the credit card. What we want now is for the man to return our documents," he said, adding that they feared that it would be misused by the agent.

When contacted, the management of the bank that the man claimed was issuing the credit card declined to comment.

A general enquiry on credit card application at the bank revealed that a person does not have to pay any registration fee. If successful, the applicant would receive the credit card after 15 days.

Meanwhile, Bandar Baru Tampoi MCA chairman Michael Tay said people should be more cautious when approached by people who claimed to be agents of banks.