Fifteen complaints received from consumers of being allegedly scammed by a woman sellling household items

KUCHING, June 19 2026: Sarawak Consumers' Association (SCA) has said that it has received numerous complaints against a local woman suspected of selling various daily necessities such as baby milk, disposable diapers (pampers), medicines and household goods via social media platforms.

Caption: SCA president Dr Wynson Ong says the number of scam victims could be more

Its president Dr Wynson Ong said SCA has received 15 complaints from consumers including from a pharmacy  of being scammed by the woman, as of June 17.

“Based on the complaints received so far, the total loss recorded is RM80,509.98, not including additional complaints that are still in the process of being reviewed and documents and reports verified by the complainants,” Ong said in a statement.

He said according to the victims, they received goods they ordered on the initial stage.

“The situation is believed to have increased consumer confidence to continue making repeat purchases, especially when offered lower promotional prices through social media platforms.

“However, based on complaints received, there are situations where after several transactions, payment has been made but the goods are no longer received as promised, even though the agreed delivery period has expired,” he said.
In a separate case involving a pharmacy, he said the woman  is alleged to have made an invalid payment transaction by submitting a receipt that is believed not to reflect the actual payment amount for the purchase of medicines.

“This case is still based on complaints received and requires further investigation by the authorities,” he added.

He said based on the number of complaints and the value of losses recorded showed that scam needed to be given serious attention by all parties.

“When involving 14 consumers and a pharmacy with a total loss exceeding RM80,000, and possibly reaching hundreds of thousands of ringgit, this shows that this matter cannot be taken lightly.

“It is more worrying when there are complaints that the initial transaction went smoothly before problems occurred in the subsequent transaction.

“This shows the importance for consumers to be more careful when making online purchases,” he said.

He said he does not rule out the possibility of more victims who have not yet come forward to file a complaint, urging them to come forward to provide information to assist in the investigation and prevent more consumers from becoming victims.

He advised the public to be more vigilant, especially in the context of the rising cost of living which has prompted many consumers to look for cheaper prices on online platforms.

“The pressure of the cost of living has caused consumers to be more inclined to look for cheap deals,” he said, adding that the situation also opens up the risk of fraud if not checked carefully first,

Ong advised the public not to make hasty payments without verification, avoid payments to personal accounts without valid business verification, check the seller's background before making any transactions and use safer and traceable payment methods.

Members of the public who have information or have experienced a similar situation can contact the Sarawak Consumers' Association  Official Hotline at 017-7109299.