KUALA LUMPUR – Picha Eats, a Malaysian social enterprise, was deceived into catering for 500 people by scammers.
In an Instagram post today, it said it had received a scam order from “Universiti Malaya” for a 500-pax event that was supposed to happen today.
“On Wednesday, we received an urgent catering request from University Malaya for 500 people for an event on Friday because their vendor pulled out at the last minute.
“We signed all the documents and proceeded with the order.
“Long story short, it is a scam/prank. There’s actually no event or order, and the documents are forged,” the post read.
It was also said that 15 Picha chefs were badly affected, as they’d purchased the ingredients to prepare meals for the aforementioned “event”.
“If you happen to need food for today, please DM (direct message) us,” it said.
The Picha Project empowers marginalised communities in Malaysia by running a sustainable food catering and delivery business.
They also offer job opportunities to these families, leveraging their cooking skills and providing professional guidance.
In an update at noon, Picha Eats said it has managed to sell all of the meals initially prepared for the event, adding: “We truly appreciate your incredible support!”
The organisation has also lodged a police report on the fraudulent order.
Scoop has reached out to Universiti Malaya for comments. – June 7, 2024