“I think all these items are worth not more than RM30,000,” he said, adding that her ordeal started in April and has taken a toll on her health. 

Gan said he advised the woman’s family to lodge a report with the state domestic trade and consumer affairs department and also with the police. 

National Consumer Complaints Centre (NCCC) director Darshan Singh, when contacted in Kuala Lumpur, said: 

“Raids and seizures alone are not enough as every day we get between three to four complaints in the Klang Valley alone.  

“What about people from other parts of the country or even those who choose not to report?” 

He said scams like this were now tarnishing the country’s image.  

“The Government should also use the emergency ordinance and detain the leaders or bosses behind these powerful syndicates,” he said, adding that a memorandum on how to battle scratch-and-win scams was submitted to the ministry last month. 

He said last year, out of the 18,345 complaints received by NCCC, 1,499 were on direct sales companies mainly involved in scratch-and-win competitions. 

“We hope the public will continue to send us as many complaints as possible, so we can forward them to the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry for action. 

Those with information can contact the NCCC at 03-7877-9000 / 03-7874-8096 or file a complaint via its website www.nccc.org.my.