Retiree loses over $1,000 to 4D 'divine number' lottery scam

The promised sure-win 4D lottery numbers were so divine, but the winnings never came.

Instead, a 56-year-old retiree from Klang, Selangor, lost RM3,250 (S$1,025) to scammers.

Malaysian Chinese Association's (MCA) head of public services and complaints department Michael Chong Ten Soo said the man had come across an advertisement promoting a ritual for wealth and good fortune.

According to Chong, the advertiser claimed to be a "monk" at a temple in Perak.

The "monk" purportedly told the retiree that a deity had instructed him to place a RM20 bet on a set of 4D numbers.

When the numbers did not win, the "monk" allegedly told the retiree that the deity had revealed two more "lucky numbers", but they could not be disclosed to him.

The "monk" offered to place bets totalling RM300 for him.

On the same night after the bets were placed, the "monk" contacted the retiree, telling him that the one of the two numbers had won RM225,000 in third prize.

The retiree was instructed to keep his winning a secret and was then transferred to a man known as "Ah Tan" for prize collection.

He told the media on Friday (Nov 6) that Ah Tan sought RM300 from him as payment for the winning numbers.

But the retiree said he could only afford RM250 and was allegedly promised an initial payout of RM50,000 after payment was made.

When the retiree did not get any money, Ah Tan told the man that his boss' account had been frozen due to suspected money laundering because of the large amount involved.

He was instructed to pay RM3,000 to have the account unfrozen.

Chong said the retiree pawned valuables, including jewellery, to raise the money, transferring it in two transactions.

A person claiming to be a banker later sought a further RM3,000 from the retiree.

After the retiree refused to pay the extra sum, they allegedly threatened to send thugs after him, prompting him to seek help from MCA.

Chong said scams promising divine winning 4D numbers are not new, but victims continue to fall for it as they may be drawn by the promise of easy money.

Remember, if it is too good to be true, it often isn't. 

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