Thursday, January 15, 2009
Banks urged to deny card payments
Thursday January 15, 2009
Banks urged to deny card payments
PETALING JAYA: The National Consumer Complaints Centre wants banks to disallow credit card facilities to a company operating illegal “scratch-and-win” draws.
The centre’s chief executive Muhammad Sha’ani Abdullah said that although the licence of the company was revoked in May last year, its credit card facilities were not terminated.
He also urged Bank Negara, the Association of Banks and Fomca to formulate solutions to stop such business.
“We receive no fewer than five complaints a day from people being fleeced by this company,” he told a press conference yesterday, adding that allowing credit card facilities to such a company was as good as abetment.
The company has branches in the Klang Valley, Ipoh, Kuantan, Batu Pahat and Seremban.
Muhammad said victims of the scam were forced to buy products and services under duress, and suggested that products worth more than RM500 should not be allowed to be sold directly unless specifically permitted by the authorities.
“There have been 1,500 reported cases of people who felt that they were cheated by this kind of draw or contest, “ he said.
