Man loses S$800 after falling for Facebook job scam promising Grab driver registration
A 54-year-old Malaysian man reportedly lost RM2,480 (about S$800) after falling victim to a Facebook job scam.
The unnamed victim had quit his job in Singapore and returned to his hometown in Kulai, Johor, intending to switch careers and work as a ride-hailing driver.
Source: Jonathan C Chen on Facebook
The case was revealed on Facebook on Friday (13 March) by Kampung Baru Kulai chief Jonathan Chen.
Scammers offered ‘one-stop’ Grab driver registration
According to Sin Chew Daily, the man came across a Facebook advertisement offering a “one-stop Grab Holdings driver registration service”, which claimed it could handle the entire application process and simplify the paperwork.
Source: Jonathan C Chen on Facebook
After contacting the person behind the advertisement, the victim was instructed to transfer money in stages to several different bank accounts.
Between 6 and 13 March, he transferred four payments:
- RM200 (about S$65)
- RM880 (about S$290)
- RM400 (about S$130)
- RM1,000 (about S$330)
However, after receiving the payments, the other party claimed there was a “system error” and demanded another RM1,000 to supposedly complete the Grab driver registration.
The scammer later escalated the demand, asking the victim to transfer another RM1,500 (about S$490) to resolve the supposed issue.
To make the scheme appear legitimate, the scammer even sent the victim a fake vocational driver’s licence as proof.
Source: Jonathan C Chen on Facebook
Fortunately, the victim realised something was wrong and did not make any further payments.
Mr Chen described the tactic as a typical scam method, where scammers keep creating problems as excuses to induce victims to continue transferring money.
He urged the public to remain vigilant when applying for jobs and to avoid transferring money to unfamiliar bank accounts.
Grab says no such employee or intermediary exists
Mr Chen also told China Press that he contacted Grab to verify whether the individual was affiliated with the company.
A representative from the ride-hailing platform reportedly confirmed that the company does not have such an employee and does not appoint intermediaries to handle driver registrations.
The representative also advised the victim to lodge a police report to prevent others from falling for similar scams.
Source: Jonathan C Chen on Facebook
According to Mr Chen, such scams often exploit job seekers’ eagerness to obtain the necessary licences quickly by offering convenient “one-stop services”.
He added that scammers typically begin by requesting smaller payments to build trust before gradually asking for larger amounts.
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Featured image adapted from Jonathan C Chen on Facebook.
