Chong offers his help and advice to the woman.
KUCHING (Mar 3): A woman who has mistakenly transferred RM30,500 to a third-party account instead of her own other account has sought the Democratic Action Party (DAP) Sarawak chairman Chong Chieng Jen for help.
The woman, who is still waiting for the commercial bank to take action, came to see Chong who later wrote to the bank, requesting a refund to be credited within seven days.
“This lady came to see me today. Her XXX (commercial bank) account number is almost the same as the other person’s, the only difference being the sixth and seventh digit. Hers is ’38’ while the other person’s is ’83’,” Chong disclosed.
“On Feb 22, she mistakenly transferred a sum of RM30,500 from her XXX (commercial bank) account into that other person’s account.
“She intended to transfer the said fund into her own other XXX (commercial bank) account,” he said in a statement issued today following a meeting with the woman whose identity was not made known.
Chong, who is Padungan assemblyman and Stampin MP, said the woman, upon realising the mistake, had informed both the commercial banks involved.
He was informed by the woman that the RM30,500 was still in the unknown recipient’s account when she made a visit to the commercial bank on Feb 23.
“She, thus, requested for the return of the money. It was a simple straightforward mistaken payment. Yet, after a week, XXX (commercial bank) still refuses to refund the amount and made no indication whether the money will be refunded or otherwise,” he said.
While pointing out that it is an offence for a person to use the money which is mistakenly transferred into his or her account, knowing full well that the money is not his or hers, Chong asserted that it is also an offence if the bank, knowing the facts, still allows the money to be used by the recipient.
“I am not only writing to XXX (commercial bank) to give them seven days to return the money but am also going to bring the matter up to the Bank Negara Malaysia.
“I hope the lady can get back her hard-earned money and for the commercial bank involved not to be an accomplice to the crime,” he said.