A Woman’s Request for House Cleaning Ended Up Cleaning Out Her Bank Account Instead

Disclaimer: This narrative is based on a true incident involving a scam in Malaysia. To protect the privacy and identity of the individuals involved, all names and identifying details have been changed.

It was just another day of work for Kausalya in mid-2024 when she stumbled upon an ad showing a part-time helper for hire on Facebook. Intrigued and in need of some household assistance for her home in Petaling Jaya, she clicked on the Whatsapp link in the page—but little did she know, that a seemingly harmless click would mark the beginning of a financial nightmare. 

Upon clicking on the link, Kausalya was connected with an agent from the supposed service, whom will be referred to as Agent T. He seemed friendly and professional as they discussed the details of hiring a part-time helper. After the discussion, Agent T agreed that he would send the part-time helper over to her house on the arranged date. The arrangement seemed straightforward, so she felt reassured that everything was set.

A few days went by, Kausalya received a text from Agent T. He informed her that there was one final step required before proceeding with the service: she needed to make a RM50 deposit through an app called “helpingmy” on [https://helpplingr.shop/discounts]. Kausalya found the request unusual, but Agent T's demeanor reassured her as he seemed genuine. For the sake of convenience, she decided to push aside her instincts, believing that completing the task without hassle was worth the risk. However, as she attempted the deposit via the app, the transaction failed. Agent T then instructed her to complete the payment manually via a cash deposit machine, raising further doubts in Kausalya’s mind.

Saturday came by, and it was the day the part-time helper was scheduled to clean Kausalya’s house. However, after two hours past the set time, there was still no trace of the helper. She then decided to connect to a different agent from the same ad as Agent T did not send over the part-time helper and has stopped replying to her messages. This new agent, Agent N, had also informed her to download the “helpingmy” app and to fill up her personal details and banking credentials via [https://helpplinge.shop/cod]. She had already downloaded the app from her initial communications with Agent T, but recalls the payment not having went through. She followed these instructions thinking that perhaps this time the payment would go through and the matter would be resolved. 

Shortly after, Kausalya received a call from Agent N, who was supposedly confirming the booking for the part-time helper. After Agent N had hung up, her phone buzzed with a bank notification that made her blood run cold: RM20,000 had been deducted from her account and transferred to another account. Panic set in as the horrifying realisation hit — she had been scammed, and RM20,000 of her hard earned money had vanished.

The unseen threat in Kausalya’s encounter

So how do scam ads and apps work?

Scammers put up fake ads online to lure you into chatting with them, so they can send you a scam app (.apk file). This malicious software may steal personal information, track your activities, or even grant unauthorised access to your accounts. If you install it, you could end up with an empty bank account! Read on to find out exactly how it happens.

How do you spot one?

1. Beware of cheap cleaning services, festive promos, and other too-good-to-be-true offers. Scammers often use these to attract your attention.
2. Scammers often contact you via social media or other messaging apps.
3. If you're asked to download an app via a link or document to make a booking or payment, be wary. This could be a scam app (.apk file).
4. Upon downloading the app, if you see a pop-up asking for permissions to view and send messages, or take over the entire device, it's a red flag. This gives scammers access to your SMS, which includes Secure2u, TAC/OTP codes.
5. The scam app may direct you to a fake payment page that closely resembles the original site. If you enter your banking username and password there, they are sent directly to the scammer.

Once scammers have your information, they can empty your bank account at any time.

Here are some tips to avoid scam ads and apps

• NEVER download apps that are not from official app stores. 
• NEVER click on links sent via SMS, chats or email. 
• DO NOT key in username and password if you do not see your security image and/or phrase.

If you suspect you've been scammed, immediately call Maybank’s 24/7 Fraud Hotline at 03-5891 4744 or the National Scam Response Centre at 997 (8am-8pm daily).

Be sure to stay updated with the latest information on security awareness and you’ll do just fine!

💡 The information provided above is purely for educational purposes.