BATU PAHAT: A restaurant operator lost RM140,000 in payments for two Rolex watches after the supposed buyer paid him with a bounced cheque.

District police chief assistant commissioner Shahrulanuar Mushaddat Abdullah Sani said the 47-year-old businessman had advertised the sale of the first watch, for RM88,000, on Facebook last Oct 27.

Following that, the victim claimed he received a message through Facebook Messenger and subsequently communicated with the suspect, whose gender could not be ascertained, via the WhatsApp application regarding the purchase of the watches.

"Through the conversation, the suspect agreed to buy the watch for RM88,000.

"The victim then offered to sell another (second) watch to the suspect for RM52,000.

"The suspect agreed to buy the two watches for RM140,000 and stated that the payment would be made into the victim's account," Shahrulanuar Mushaddat said in a statement today.

He said last Monday (Nov 4), the victim received a message via WhatsApp from the suspect stating that a payment of RM140,000 had been made into the victim's account through a cheque deposit machine.

"However, last Tuesday (Nov 5), the victim found that the money amounting to RM140,000 was not in his account and found that the check was a bounced cheque, and realising that he had been cheated lodged a police report yesterday," he said.

The police are investigating the case under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating.

The offence carries a jail term of up to 10 years, whipping and a fine upon conviction.