Influencer claims RM3,450 loss after Taman Negara fishing trip falls through
A Kota Bharu content creator known for 'cak pua' cooking videos has lodged a police report, claiming the money paid for a fishing package at Sungai Sepia was never refunded.
JERANTUT – A well-known social media content creator from Kota Bharu says his plan to enjoy a fishing trip at Sungai Sepia in Taman Negara ended in disappointment, with a claimed loss of RM3,450 after he is believed to have fallen victim to a fishing package scam.
The victim, known as AS Kitchen on Facebook and popular for his 'cak pua' cooking videos, lodged a police report after claiming the money paid for the package was not returned even though the fishing activity could not proceed as promised.
Acting Jerantut district police chief Deputy Superintendent Arshad Ayob said the victim and three friends booked the fishing package with a boatman known as Along Kama, or Mohd Hairul Kamaruddin, on May 31.
He said the group initially paid a RM300 deposit before being asked to make several additional payments, purportedly to repair a boat and obtain an operating permit.
"Several transactions were made in stages between June and July via QR code payments to a number of individuals, in addition to cash payments to the boatman, bringing the total to RM3,450.
"However, on the day the trip was scheduled to take place, the fishing activity could not proceed after the boatman was said to have been detained by the authorities as he was not permitted to operate in the Taman Negara area," he said here today.
Arshad said the suspect later promised to return the money by the end of July, but the victim claims he has yet to receive any refund to date.
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