The Star/Asia News Network
Tuesday, Nov 27, 2012
PETALING JAYA - Scammers are "injuring" another hospital by using its website to con unsuspecting expatriates, including doctors.
"Hartamas Medical Center" mirrors the website of Damai Service Hospital (HQ) (DSH) to hire foreigners by offering jobs with lucrative salaries and other perks.
The website, which is still running, lists several job vacancies, including for general surgeon, paediatrician, physiotherapist and nurse manager.
They have handphone numbers for people to contact although instead of a fake mailing address, the "hospital" lists the address of DSH on its website, which is about 5km away from the fake Dutamas Hospital, supposedly located in Solaris Dutamas, that was reported last week.
DSH officials were shocked when a doctor turned up claiming that he had been offered a job some weeks ago.
Chief operating officer Andy Soo, in denying any connection to the scam, said the expatriate doctor had a letter stating that he had been offered a job.
"But we do not send out official recruitment letters via e-mail," he said yesterday. "We fear our reputation will be tarnished."
Soo said reports with the police and the Malaysian Communica- tions and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) had been lodged.
He said the hospital lodged the police report on Nov 5 after it received e-mails that its website was being mirrored by scammers.
It was reported that "Dutamas Hospital" offered salaries of more than US$9,000 (S$11,006.20) per month for executive jobs, in addi-tion to holidays, accommodation and other perks, to lure victims.
They targeted prospective expatriates into parting with their money by getting them to pay thousands of ringgit as visa and contract fees.
"Dutamas Hospital" had taken information from Columbia Asia Hospital Setapak's website.
Meanwhile, a source revealed that an ayurveda doctor from India had been offered a job by "Hartamas Medical Center" in October.
The terms of appointment were the same as that in the "Dutamas Hospital" scam.
MCMC said the case was being investigated.
