By Charles Fernandez

KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA - Mothers with children in primary schools in Seri Kembangan are on high alert following a series of ransom scams.

It is learnt that a foreign syndicate has been duping housewives here into paying ransoms of between RM30,000 (S$12,360) and RM40,000 for the release of their "kidnapped" children.

A syndicate member with a strong Chinese accent would phone unsuspecting parents and tell them that their child had been kidnapped and ask for a ransom.

In the latest incident on Thursday, housewife Put Yoke Kean, 37, claimed that her 10-year-old daughter was supposedly "kidnapped" from her school in Serdang Baru, and a demand made for RM30,000 in ransom.

However, the ploy failed when Put's sister confirmed that her daughter was then still in school.

At a press conference at Seri Kembangan assemblyman Ean Yong Hian Wah's office yesterday, Put said:

"The caller called my house at 10.40am. I tried to negotiate for a lower ransom by telling him that I have only RM3,000 with me."

Put managed to contact her sister on another handphone to check on her child while negotiating with the caller.

"I was relieved when I found out that my daughter was safe," said Put, who later lodged a report at the Seri Kembangan police station.

--The Star/ANN