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Utusan Malaysia 7 December 2005

Jutawan nafi terlibat skim pyramid SMS

KUALA LUMPUR 6 Dis .- Jutawan internet , Irfan Khairi mengingatkan orang ramai agar tidak mudah diperdayakan melalui skim pyramid menerusi Khidmat pesanan ringkas [SMS] dan internet yang mengaitkan namanya .

Irfan , 28 , yang yang dikatakan salah seorang jutawan termuda di Malaysia menafikan penglibatannya dalam sebarang skim pyramid SMS atau internet .

Beliau menyatakan rasa kecewa dan rasa kesal dengan tindakan pihak tidak bertanggung-jawab yang menggunakan namanya untuk mengaut keuntungan dengan cara mudah dengan menipu .

'Saya berharap orang ramai tidak akan terjerumus dalam skim-skim yang dikaitkan dengan nama saya dan ini bukan cara untuk mencari kekayaan ,' Katanya pada sidang akhbar di pejabatnya di sini hari ini .

Kandungan SMS itu yang disebarkan secara meluas menyebut ;

'Program sharing SMS oleh Irfan Khairi , jutawan internet Malaysia . Modal RM6.20 sekali sahaja , dapat 50 sen seorang .

'Daftar hingga tiga peringkat . Pengguna prepaid mesti mempunyaai kredit RM7 untuk mendaftar . Lepas dapat ID , hantar SMS macam ini kepada kawan seberapa ramai . Taip EBOOK REG 40483 dan hantar Ke 32300 .'

Irfan memandang serius perkara itu berkata , tindakan salah laku itu akan memudaratkan lagi industri telekomunikasi di Malaysia yang masih berada di peringkat awal .

'Tindakan itu hanya mencemarkan kewibawaan teknologi maklumat dan komunikasi [ICT] dan menimbulkan kecurigaan di kalangan pihak-pihak yang benar-benar mahu menggunakannya untuk tujuan baik .

'Orang ramai tidak menyedari bahawa penyebaran fitnah melalui internet kini boleh dikesan dengan begitu mudah ,' katanya .

Menurut Irfan , beliau membuat lapuran polis di Balai Polis Seremban pada 23 November lalu sejurus menyedari beliau dikaitkan dengan SMS terbabit .

Kosmo 7 December 2005

Usahawan Internet Dieksploit

PETALING JAYA, Dec 8- Usahawan internet , Irfan Khairi , 28 , menafikan penglibatannya dalam skim pyramid melalui khidmat pesanan ringkas [SMS] yang kini semakin tersebar luas .

Beliau mendakwa , SMS yang menyalahgunakan namanya itu dilakukan oleh syarikat atau individu tertentu untuk mengaut keuntungan melalui kredit pengguna telefon bimbit prabayar .

'Saya sudah melapurkan perkara ini kepada pihak berkuasa dan peguam asya akan mendakwa mana-mana pihak yang terbabit .

'Mereka mungkin tidak tahu negara kita telah mengubal undang-undang siber dan sesiapa yang didapati bersalah memburukkan orang lain melalui internet atau SMS akan dihadapkan ke mahkamah ,' Katanya pada sidang akhbar di sini semalam .

Kandungan SMS itu menyebut , Program Perkongsian oleh Irfan Khairi , jutawan internet Malaysia dengan modal RM6.20 sahaja mereka akan dapat 50 sen dengan setiap pendaftaran penerima SMS lain .

Mereka boleh SMS kepada seberapa ramai yang mereka suka dengan hanya taip e-Book kepada nombor 32300 .

Irfan berkata , penyebaran SMS itu menjejaskan kredibilitinya sebagai penceramah motivasi dan penulis buku .

'Saya terkejut apabila menerima SMS tersebut yang dihantar oleh salah seorang pembaca buku saya , dia ingin meminta kepastian sama ada SMSitu dihantar oleh pihak kami .

'Selepas itu saya membuat lapuran polis . Diharap mereka yang bertanggungjawab akan dibawa ke muka pengadilan ,' tegasnya

Malay Mail 8 December 2005

It’s a con, says netpreneur
SUSHMA VEERA
KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 8


The public are advised not to fall for any pyramid scheme involving Internet entrepreneur Noor Irfan Khairi Noor Azmi.

Noor Irfan, who is better known as Irfan Khairi, said certain parties are circulating an SMS, urging people to join the scheme, which they claim was initiated by him. "I am shocked," he said.

Noor Irfan, 29, said he got to know about the scheme last week when friends and relatives started calling him to find out if it’s true.

"One of the readers of my book had also called to confirm if I had initiated the scheme. This is a serious issue and it can affect my credibility," he said.

The SMS, which is in Bahasa Melayu, states: "Program sharing SMS oleh Irfan Khairi, jutawan Internet Malaysia. Modal RM6.20 sekali sahaja, dapat 50 sen setiap x orang register hingga 3 level. Pegguna prepaid mesti ada kredit RM7 untuk register. Lepas dapat ID hantar kepada kawan seberapa ramai. Taip EBOOK REG XXXXX dan hantar kepada XXXXX. Ikut arahan seterusnya."

Translated, it goes something like this: Sharing programme by Irfan Khairi, Malaysian Internet millionaire. Invest RM6.20, once only and get 50 sen for each person who registers, up to three levels. Prepaid users must have a credit of RM7 to register. Upon getting the ID, forward to as many friends. Type EBOOK REG XXXXX and sent it to XXXXX. Follow the next instruction.

Irfan lodged a police report on Nov 23. "I recently announced plans to motivate youngsters and run self-development programmes for them. Such SMS will jeopardise my credibility," said Irfan, a multimedia system developer and consultant.

"I would like to inform the public that I am not involved with any Internet pyramid scheme.

"As a professional in the Internet industry, I treat this as a serious matter. Any wrongdoing on the Internet will jeopardise the ICT industry of Malaysia. If no action is taken against such a nuisance, there will be more irresponsible parties misusing ICT.

"An investigation is underway and I have been liaising with my lawyers on legal action," he said.

Irfan, a graduate in multimedia design from United Kingdom, has created an Internet learning system for schools in the United Kingdom, called the Learning Grid.

He started his Internet business, working from home using his laptop. His Internet business, which is under the name of Idea Bubble, has served more than 3,000 customers around the globe.

The Government is in the process of completing the draft for the Anti-Pyramid Act, which comprises more effective procedures to deal with get-rich-quick and pyramid schemes, including those operating through the internet.

Targeted for enforcement early next year, the draft proposes that action be taken against the participants of such scams, which have been found to be illegal by Malaysia and many other countries.

Participants in this context would mean locally based promoters or agents of companies which generally operate the schemes from overseas, said Mohd Azni Mohd Ali, principal assistant director of the Domestic Trade Division Direct Selling Unit at the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry.

He added that these are the people who conduct recruitment drives to create downlines and gain most from the advertising bonuses generated by the downlines.

Bases on the 17 cases of Internet-based scams reported since June this years, 11 are actually being operated by companies incorporated outside the country and therefore are not within the Malaysian jurisdiction, according to Mohd Azni. We are currently working out the final details of the proposed Act very carefully because such schemes are susceptible to change as they are based on current concepts and ideas.

The processes and procedures of prosecutions are yet to be finalised and the the final say would come from the Attorney-General's office, he told Computimes in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday. He added that the proposed penalty for offenders in the pyramid scheme include three years imprisonment and not less than RM10 million in fines.

Elaborating on the get-rich-quick scheme, Mohd Azni said some of the originating countries include the United States, Canada, Australia, Bahamas, Hong Kong and the Asean countries. These scheme work on the principle of volume. The more people who get on a scheme, the more successful the scheme will become. That's why it is becoming a global issue, he said.

Although the general public are aware of the dangers of such scheme, I foresee the number will still escalate due to the economic uncertainly and the eagerness to reap benefit on short term investments which is glaringly apparent in developing countries like Malaysia.

Participants in local Net-based pyramid schemes have been found to be from the computer literate community with the majority being professionals. we are also watching very closely business which combine electronic commerce (e-commerce) with multi-level marketing strategy. This type of organizations recruit members who subsequently introduce new members to the Net-based business, Mohd Azni said. the introducer will then get some sort of payment for each purchase made on the new person introduced. Although this is not direct selling, it could become such a scheme if not monitored.

On further efforts to curb Internet-based get- rich-quick scheme, Mohd Azni said ideally Malaysia needs to put forward the issue on the international level, perhaps through the United Nations platform. Malaysia has also earlier called for a concerted effort among Asean countries to check such scams.

On a related matter, Mohd Azni said the Ministry is working with the Energy, Communications and Multimedia Ministry to revise the Consumer Protection Act which currently does not have provisions involving e-commerce and internet-based transactions. We are trying to include them for consumers' interest. For example, if you order through the Net and the product does not reach you, what happens then. These are issues being discussed and being studied as regulations concerning the Net as a whole have yet to be established, he said. However, we will try to ensure the laws tabled do not stunt e-commerce growth in Malaysia.