Sympatize to Alan Wong

The Star/Asia News NetworkFriday, Aug 26, 2011

KUALA LUMPUR - A phony consultant company inviting small and medium industries (SMIs) to become suppliers to a government agency is making its rounds.
The new tactic came to light after a businessman came forward to warn other SMIs to be careful when they receive such unsolicited invitations.

Print & Pack Solution Sdn Bhd general manager Alan Wong, 37, said his company received an invitation through facsimile bearing the letterhead of the Agro-based Product Marketing Board.
Wong said he had reservations about the invitation as it was faxed but he took the chance as he was interested in getting more business.

"I prepared a packet with the required documents and a RM6,000 (S$2,430) post-dated cheque as deposit. That way, I thought if anything went wrong, I could still recover the money," Wong said.

After the packet was hand delivered to the consultant company's office on Aug 16, Wong received a call the same day telling him that his application could not be processed because of the post-dated cheque.

Sensing something amiss, Wong told the general manager, who said his name was Tan Chun Hoe, that he wanted to withdraw his application.
Three days later, Wong received a call from his bank regarding the RM6,000 post-dated cheque that he had issued.

He immediately cancelled the cheque and lodged a police report at the Dang Wangi police headquarters.

"The date on the cheque had been altered to Aug 1 from Aug 31," Wong said.
MCA National Youth Strategic Planning Research Bureau chief Neil Foo Seck Chyn, who called the press conference, urged companies which had encountered the same scam to lodge a police report.