Scammers forge KL DoE documents to cheat suppliers out of RM200,000

KUALA LUMPUR - The Kuala Lumpur Department of Environment (DoE) discovered eight scams involving government procurement order documents, resulting in losses surpassing RM200,000 for two suppliers. Director Sharifah Zakiah Syed Sahab reported that the DoE first identified the scam on September 4 when a diving equipment supplier representative visited to confirm the authenticity of government procurement documents.

Prior to this, the department had received multiple inquiries about procurement documents starting in mid-August.

Sharifah Zakiah revealed that on Tuesday, a supplier representative inquired about a souvenir order worth more than RM100,000, allegedly placed by the KL DoE for an upcoming program. Upon investigation, the department found that no such souvenir orders or program bookings had been made. Instead, forged documents featuring abused officer names, fake letterheads, and forged management signatures were used to place the orders. Consequently, the suppliers transferred over RM100,000 as advance payment for the souvenirs.

KL DoE advised the suppliers to file police reports and referred the cases to the Bukit Aman Commercial Crime Investigation Department. The department filed a police report on Wednesday, denying officer involvement and reporting the matter to the DoE Headquarters Finance Division. Despite these police reports, the department continued to receive inquiries about fake procurement orders.

Sharifah Zakiah urged suppliers and contractors to exercise caution and thoroughly verify all government procurement documents before making any financial commitments.