Hacker

A few weeks ago, I was chatting on MSN and bumped into an ex-colleague, who happened to be my university's junior. Trying to be nice, I asked her about her recent condition as she resigned due to family problem. After we chatted for a line or two, she asked me whether I have Maybank2U account. Since I didn't have it, she changed topic after that. She brought up a very personal question and I was quite taken aback. First of all, I was not used to being asked this kinda question and secondly, she portrayed to be very innocent. Her asking me this question?? It's either she feels I'm trust able or I'm being over sensitive. Luckily I didn't disclose anything personal to her. Every time she questioned something, I'll question her back (that's how my mum taught me ;p). I told Hubs when he fetched my home day. Never did it cross my mind that her account has been hacked. I mean, why would a person hack someone else chatting account?

Not until recently that I got to know the truth. I went to BBQ at my colleague's apartment and coincidently, a few who attended were my university's juniors too. So they were friends of my ex-colleague. I overheard them talking about this hacker who used the msn account and conned one of the juniors to bank in the money for her. Below is the email the victim sent out to warn others. Please take note of the hacker's name and account.

Guys! please beware of MSN fraud! Read on:

It happened around 1125am on 19th October 2007. When i was busy with work, a friend suddenly 'IM'ed me using MSN messenger. She used to be my roomate and i am very close with her. So, she asked if i could log in to maybank2u account because she couldn't. As I’ve tried, i could log in. She asked me for a favor saying that she owed a friend money and been delaying him very long and its kind of urgent to return the money and asked if i could help her to transfer money to her friend first and saying that she'll definitely bank in the money back to me after work that day. The amount she asked was initially RM800, but since i got not that much money in that bank account, she told me to wait as she will ask her friend if its okay paying him RM400 first. So, sensing some kind of emergency here, i without any hesitation (this friend once asked me to lend money to her the same way), I’ve banked in the amount to the bank account she gave me. The account no. is 1111-1428-6194 and the owner's name is KEW MIN TECK. Well, at the end of the day, after working hour, i still yet to receive any call from my friend regarding the money. So, i smsed her regarding the money. She was shocked about it and asked if she still owe me money. (We stayed together for the past few months, so, sometimes she owes me money for bills...)So, with the thought that she forgot bout it, i mentioned to her that she asked for my help to transfer RM400 to her friend first. With that, she's even more surprised and gave me a call. When i told her about it, she said it must be her email account being hacked already. (FYI - MSN uses email account to login) because she received a SMS from an unknown number saying that he's matthew and he hacked her email and asked her if she wants him to restore for her. This guy's number is 012-2141405 which is a prepaid number. I was so shocked with the news and immediately went to Maybank to see if the transfer could be stopped. It was already 720pm at that time, offices already closed down. I've called the maybank hotline and they asked me to make a police report and bring back to Maybank tomorrow. So, i quickly went to the nearest police station and make a report believing that with the guy's bank account number and name, police force could at least track him down or get evidence on him for the crime he's committing. I told my friend to do the same thing and tell her to sms all her friends regarding her account being hacked. At the police station, there's this policewoman at the counter. She asked me where did i do the transaction and i told her at my office. she told me that i must go to another police station to make the report as that is not under their district. I was like 'huh?' However, i managed to make a police report. That policewoman did not even listen properly to the incident i was telling and she started to type on her own. Since she did not attentively listen to what i was saying, she got things wrong and asked us to write the story down. I was lucky that i got a friend to accompany me to the police station. (i don't even know where's the police station is... i'm a KL ppl in Penang now). Even though I’ve made a police report, the case wasn't open. To no avail, nothing has been done. The policewoman then called another officer (it seems that this officer has the higher rank) and he talked to me. I was asked by him 'why do i need the police report’, the reason of getting a police report? (is that suppose to be a question? i wouldn't have trouble myself to lodge a report if i find it not necessary)By telling him that at least could get details on the guy from the bank, he told me to go to Maybank and get the guy's particulars and hopefully i could talk to that guy and it'll be good if he returns the money else, i'll need to treat it as a wrong investment. (wrong investment!!???) So, particularly, nothing has been done.

The next amusement thing about this is that, i went to Maybank as told by the officer the next day along with the police report and hope that i could get details on that guy. And the only thing that i found out is that they need an officer/personel to come along only authorised to view the details! (omg! how come no one told me bout it at the police station?) The guy in maybank was very helpful. He managed to help me check (i got a peep on it) about that hacker's bank account. To my surprise, there are alot of transcation to this guy account! Besides mine at 11.25am, at 11.30am there's another transaction (RM620) transfered to his account. There are several more. And at that moment, his account only left RM146! Doesn't it obvious that this guy is vigorously cheating others by hacking into other people's account? Since, nothing can be done without an officer/personel, with much despair i decided to go home. Just on the way back, i received a call from a friend from KL stating that the hacker the friend's email account to online again and now talking to him. That hacker uses the same tactic to him asking for help to transfer money using maybank2u. I asked my friend to entertain him to see if it is the same guy,same bank account number. So, when i reached home. I tried to talk to that guy again. He's using the same conversation again! (omg! doesn't he remember that he has already conned me?) by making it sounds like i'm talking to my friend, i talked to him again. So, as predicted. He asked the same question again and the whole lot conversations were the same. And without any surprise, the name and the bank account number is the same! So, i called the police station where i make a report yesterday to tell them about it. The policeman who picked up the phone was so rude. Then, i told him bout the incident and my report number and told him that this guy is in action again. And yet, another disappointment. The policeman said that there's nothing he could do as he can't get out of the police station and he then gave me a hp number to call. I called that officer who's responsible for this kind of cases but only got 'i'm busy at the moment. i'm taking some statement here' as the answer. My KL friend who got the whole conversation which of course, the same account number and the same name - went to make a police report and requested to open up a case for this. After waiting for 4 hours at the police station and listening to the policemen saying that there's nothing they can do, there's no evidence and a more ridiculous question thrown to my friend is "Berapa Ribu kau hilang?" (how many thousands you have lost?)

Isn't it the police’s responsibility to track this fella down? And why am i the one suppose to get the particulars from Maybank? Doesn't he knows that we're not authorise to do any checking on people's particulars unless there's an officer/personel together with the police report only could do that? Why am i not told about it when i'm at the police station lodging the report? And isn't it the job of the police to get evidences on this guy who is doing the crime? It doesn't matter on how much we got cheated, it is still our money and furthermore, what if that i'm not the only person being conned here? Imagine, each person he conned RM400, so if he managed to con 10 people, that would make it RM 4000 per day! I am seriuosly being dissappointed with the act of the police force. It's as if they are imaginary since they claimed that they could do nothing about it. And these kind of crimes will continue and it'll be even worse as there's no action being take and these culprits will happily commit these crimes without being afraid of getting caught.

So, people! What you can do now is be more extra careful when you're dealing with your money. Always verify with the people you're sending money to, no matter how close he/she to you. And don't assume that your friend's/family's eamil account is not being hacked!

p/s: this is part of the conversation I got (the day after when he’s trying to con me again) And I got to know from maybank that he’s account is from kuching, Sarawak.

=jOcElYn= says (12:36 PM): hey
çhof??? says (12:36 PM):eh
=jOcElYn= says (12:36 PM): how are you??
çhof??? says (12:36 PM):fine lo
çhof??? says (12:36 PM):how about u?
=jOcElYn= says (12:36 PM): not very good not very bad
=jOcElYn= says (12:36 PM): haha
=jOcElYn= says (12:36 PM):just fine like u
=jOcElYn= says (12:36 PM):you getting prettier!
çhof??? says (12:36 PM): :P
çhof??? says (12:37 PM):no la
=jOcElYn= says (12:37 PM):no need shy le
çhof??? says (12:37 PM):u're prettier
=jOcElYn= says (12:37 PM):haha, no la
=jOcElYn= says (12:37 PM): i ugly one
=jOcElYn= says (12:37 PM):eh, do you have maybank2u acc?
çhof??? says (12:38 PM):why?
=jOcElYn= says (12:38 PM): dunno why i can't login to the site since yesterday
=jOcElYn= says (12:38 PM): u manage to login?
çhof??? says (12:39 PM):erm.. ya
=jOcElYn= says (12:39 PM): i think my pc got virus already
=jOcElYn= says (12:40 PM):the page cannot finish load
çhof??? says (12:42 PM):oh! really?
çhof??? says (12:42 PM):u din install antivirus meh?
=jOcElYn= says (12:43 PM): got scan but took very long time so i always press cancel..haha
=jOcElYn= says (12:43 PM): can u do me a favor?
çhof??? says (12:43 PM):aiyoo
çhof??? says (12:43 PM):u better scan it properly la
çhof??? says (12:43 PM):else ur data all gone lagi teruk
=jOcElYn= says (12:43 PM): i need to transfer money to my fren and been delaying hin since yesterday...u help me to bank in can? i bank in back to u this evening when i go out
çhof??? says (12:46 PM):ooo
çhof??? says (12:46 PM):why so urgent geh?
=jOcElYn= says (12:46 PM): cause delayin him very long already. i feel so bad
=jOcElYn= says (12:46 PM): can u help me?
çhof??? says (12:47 PM):ohh
çhof??? says (12:47 PM):who is that?
=jOcElYn= says (12:47 PM): my fren, i asked him help me buy some stuff and he already send to item and yet i still havent paid him
çhof??? says (12:49 PM):eh, u din go back hometown ar?
=jOcElYn= says (12:49 PM): nolar
=jOcElYn= says (12:49 PM): can u help me or not?
çhof??? says (12:49 PM):wait wait
çhof??? says (12:49 PM): i'm loading the page
çhof??? says (12:49 PM):also vry slow lo
çhof??? says (12:50 PM):my connection very slow
çhof??? says (12:50 PM):sooo sorry
=jOcElYn= says (12:50 PM):u using dial up?
=jOcElYn= says (12:50 PM): or streamyx?
=jOcElYn= just sent you a nudge.
=jOcElYn= says (12:54 PM):
çhof??? says (1:17 PM):y not i send cheque to u or pass cash to u?
çhof??? says (1:19 PM):ok ma?
=jOcElYn= says (1:19 PM): i need to transfer the money to him now
=jOcElYn= says (1:19 PM): pass me cash also no use
=jOcElYn= says (1:19 PM): he's in malacca
=jOcElYn= says (1:19 PM): i got money in my maybank2u just can't log in!
çhof??? says (1:20 PM):oh
çhof??? says (1:20 PM):u give me ur fren's acc then
çhof??? says (1:20 PM):so i can transfer when the page loaded finish
=jOcElYn= says (1:20 PM):u manage to log on now?
=jOcElYn= says (1:21 PM): 1111-1428-6194 kew min teck

Thinking back I still naively talked to her and didn't suspect a thing. Heck, no wonder she sounded so different! Luckily I didn't even have Maybank account.