Durian seller calls the police after he and father get impersonated by buyers twice in a week

A durian seller who took to Facebook for his business called the police after he was impersonated twice in a week.

On both occasions, online buyers had used the photos from his Facebook account, Ah Seng Durian, during transactions, leading the vendors to solicit money from him after the deals.

Mr Xuwen Yang, 30, who runs the business told Lianhe Wanbao that his sister had received a call from a vendor who said that he had bought a ‘Hello Kitty’ pencil case and a music box online.

Thinking that the caller could have been a scammer, Mr Yang’s sister hung up on her.

She told Mr Yang later that the person seemed insistent on making him pay, but did not mention how much he owed. 

On Saturday (Jan 20), he received a direct message from a Thai amulet seller soliciting payment. 

Bewildered, Mr Yang asked his family members if they had purchased anything online, and they confirmed that they hadn’t.

He subsequently contacted the amulet seller, Royston Royston, and found out that the buyer had made an order via Facebook. 

Upon investigation, he discovered that his father’s photo had been misused by imposters to set up a fake Facebook account. 

He immediately reported the case to Facebook and called the police.

Mr Yang even sent a private message to Facebook’s founder Mark Zuckerberg, regarding the incident. 

He told reporters that the fake account had over 200 Facebook friends, and even shared a mutual friend with him. 

It was only upon speaking to that mutual friend that he realised that even the mutual friend had been fooled by the fake account. 

Mr Yang felt that the incidents have damaged his business’s reputation, and decided to upload a post on Sunday (Jan 21) to clarify the matter.

Reporters tried contacting the imposter on Facebook but found that the account has been terminated after being reported by Mr Yang. 

In response to media queries, the police have confirmed that a report was lodged. 

Individuals found guilty of identity theft can be jailed up to 5 years’ jail, fined, or both.