12-Year-Old Boy Transfers RM25,400 To Scammer From Dad’s Bank Account For iPhone

Boy loses RM25,400 to scammer for new iPhone

Online shopping is now the norm for anyone opting to “window-shop” for everything from clothes to gizmos, from the comfort and safety of their couch. But this dad in Pahang had an unfortunate tale to tell after his 12-year-old son transferred a whopping RM25,400 from his bank account to an online seller who turned out to be a scammer without his knowledge. His son, a Year Six student, made the bank transfers for an iPhone that cost RM500 after he spotted an Instagram ad.

Several bank transfers made in a few hours

Navigating online shopping platforms can be tricky for adults, much less a child, as getting scammed is always a concern.

This student in Maran, Pahang, was the unfortunate victim of a scam after attempting to purchase an iPhone 11 Pro for RM500, as reported by New Straits Times on 2nd May 2021.

He made the bank transfer of RM400 to the online scammer from his father’s bank account after he was offered the attractive “discounted” price of RM400 by the online “seller”.

But it came with a catch, as he was told to make another transfer of RM1,350 for a “warranty card”.

He had allegedly learned how to transfer money via online banking application after watching a “how-to” video on YouTube. It is also said that he might have picked up a thing or two after observing his father make bank transfers, including learning his password too.

Boy loses RM25400 in online iPhone scam deal - kid
Image (for illustration purposes only) credit: Flickr / Nenad Stojkovic

More request for money from the scammer came after the boy called them up to inquire about the delivery date for his “newly purchased” phone. It led him to transfer another RM23,650 – or a total of RM25,400 – in a series of bank transfers to them.

All in all, he made a total of 7 transfers in just a few hours.

Fortunately, the father caught wind of the incident hours after it happened, lodging a police report when he saw the huge amount of money missing from his bank account.

Police cautions parents about online shopping around kids

The incident is currently being investigated by authorities.

State Commercial Crime Investigation Department Chief Superintendent, Mohd Wazir Mohd Yusof, said that authorities are in the process of finding out if the scammers had instructed the 12-year-old boy to make the bank transfers.

In his statement, he also advised the public to stay vigilant when shopping online around their kids, or risk having an incident like this happen to them.

12-year-old boy transfers RM25,400 to scammer for iPhone

Shopping online goes smoothly for most of us, but there have also been detestable stories of scammers preying on innocent shoppers that serve as reminders for us to remain cautious while we scroll through the Internet. With most kids now familiar with online shopping too, we should extend this caution to them and keep a watchful eye while they are online.