(Source: Facebook | Lee Wei)
In a recent incident that has captured attention online, a Malaysian car workshop operator named Lee Wei (transliteration) shared what he called a “receipt fraud” case involving a company lorry driver. Lee Wei had taken to Facebook to share what seems like the most outrageous expense claim fraud of the year.
Lee Wei shared with Noodou that this incident took place in May. A lorry driver came to his workshop to replace a single light bulb priced at RM8, and was issued a handwritten receipt accordingly. Fast forward 2 months to July, someone from the company’s finance department called the workshop. It is obvious that when the driver submitted an expense claim listing the cost as RM180, alarm bells rang. Something clearly did not add up, and to get to the bottom of things, the finance staff reached out directly to the workshop to verify the charge. That call led to a dramatic discovery.
“Our lorry had a light bulb replaced at your place, and it cost RM180? What kind of bulb is that?”
(Source: Facebook | Lee Wei)
Upon examining the bill, Lee Wei compared the version shared by the company’s finance staff to the workshop’s carbon copy. That was where the twist became crystal clear: the driver had altered his own copy of the receipt, turning RM 8 into RM 180 with a few crafty strokes of a pen.
Lee Wei then shared a photo of the carbon copy with the finance secretary. It showed clearly the genuine RM 8 charge and made it obvious that the workshop had not overcharged.
(Source: Facebook | Lee Wei)
Whether the company took any disciplinary action against the driver remains unknown.
Lee expressed concern that without keeping that carbon copy, the workshop might have been unfairly blamed for overcharging. Fortunately, because he held onto that carbon copy, the issue was resolved rapidly and the workshop’s reputation remained intact
Netizens reacted with amusement and disbelief
As news of the episode spread online, netizens reacted with amusement and awe at the brazenness of the attempt. Comments flew across social media calling it “caught red‑handed” and remarking that someone had really tried their best to mark up RM 8 into RM 180. The story has become a stark reminder of how handwritten receipts, lacking safeguards, can be manipulated so easily.
One viral comment broke down the scam in pure number form:
“8×10% equals 0.8, times 100 equals 8, times 1000 equals 80. This guy marked up 2000%. Talented!”
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