S
Shingen Takeda
Guest
Wednesday December 15, 2010
Traders in JB fall prey to pawn con
By NELSON BENJAMIN
[email protected]
JOHOR BARU: A group of con artists has been preying on businessmen by offering to sell pawn receipts in exchange for gold jewellery at huge discounts. To convince their victims, the con men have even gone to the extent of setting up “dummy” pawnshops in affluent business areas in the state.
The shop lots have tinted glass panelling, a counter and even CCTV to deceive victims. So far the group has cheated several businessmen, including gold traders, of more than RM300,000. Police have started investigations under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating.
Police have raided several of the gang’s “pawnshops” and discovered only one counter at the front with wooden panelling while the rest of the shop is empty.
The modus operandi of the con men, comprising at least four people, would be to rent a shop lot before engaging contractors to do up the front including installing the counters, glass and dummy CCTV.
Sources said once this was done, a couple would approach businessmen with pawnshop receipts offering huge discounts if they purchase them. “They say they need the cash for personal or health matters and then lure the victims to the pawnshop.
“Once there, there will be a man manning the counter who will verify that the pawn shop receipt is genuine,” the source said. It is learnt that the victims will then pay to redeem the items at the pawnshop.
Once the money has been paid, the victims are given fake jewellery. By the time the victims realise that they have been duped, it is too late as the shop has been abandoned.
In one case several days ago, a businessman in his 40s was cheated of RM95,000 after purchasing gold jewellery which turned out to be copper at a pawnshop in Ulu Tiram.
Johor Baru South OCPD Asst Comm Zainuddin Yaacob urged those with information to contact 07-221 2999 or the nearest police station.
