By Nabilah Yusnasri
Edited by Maizatul
Picture screen captured from Instagram video
KUALA LUMPUR, 14 August 2023: Supposed harmless photography with the iconic PETRONAS Twin Towers turned into an issue of photography scams at Kuala Lumpur City Centre (KLCC) that has been going viral across Instagram and TikTok.
Locals and foreign visitors could not miss their chance to take photographs at the PETRONAS Twin Towers in the Kuala Lumpur City Centre (KLCC) vicinity. This allows photographers to gain profit by providing photography services to visitors at a reasonable price.
Some photographers, however, took advantage of this opportunity to scam others. They made a lot of money by tricking people into agreeing to use their service by charging them higher prices than initially agreed upon. Some of the victims commented about their experience on the video shared by @traveljimat_ on Instagram.
Picture screen captured from Instagram video
The video posted by said account recorded a number of photographers lingering in the area with a caption that advises the netizens to be cautious of photography scammers in KLCC.
A victim identified as @ha_5650 commented that a photographer offered his service to take photographs for only RM10, which she agreed to. However, after transferring the photos to her husband’s phone, the photographer asked for RM80, saying he charged them RM10 per photo.
Not wanting to make things difficult, they reluctantly paid the photographer. The victim added that the photographer said he charges a higher price for foreigners, which is RM30 per photo.
The issue of photography scams took a turn for the worse when some photographers claimed the area as their “turf”. Therefore, visitors who wanted to take photographs on their own were asked to move aside as they were not using their service.
Another victim, identified as @fthi__, claimed that while he and his wife were taking photographs using their setups, some photographers disrupted them by photobombing their pictures. The scammers' persistence in pressuring visitors to use their service has caused many to fall victim to such scamming methods.
Many victims expressed their dissatisfaction regarding this issue in the comment section of the video, while others hoped for the authorities to take action regarding this matter.***
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