JOHOR BARU, MALAYSIA: He was about to drive off from a bank when he fell victim to the notorious scratch-and-win scam and lost RM7,380.

The 36-year-old victim, who wanted to be known only as Liew, said a man approached him and offered him some shopping vouchers.

"After I wound down my car window, the man shoved a scratch-and-win card at me and asked me to try my luck at winning a Toyota Altis," Liew told the Consumer Claims Tribunal here when relating the incident which happened in March.

Liew scratched the card and there it was, the picture of a car.

He drove to the company's office together with the salesman and was asked to pay RM7,380 as "advertisement fee".

"In return, I did not get the car but eight household items," he said.

Liew lodged a report and filed a case at the tribunal court here. Tribunal president Rungit Singh issued an order to cancel the business transaction and directed the company to return the money to Liew within 14 days.

Another victim, who only wanted to be known as Nurul, also received a similar judgment when the tribunal ordered the scratch-and-win company to refund the RM1,742 she paid for a mattress in December.

Rungit Singh also told both victims to return the items they had received from the companies. -The Star, ANN