Timur Laut district police said there was an increase in cases of online scams involving the thorny fruit now that it was in season.

They said the victims would be drawn by advertisements of the cheap prices on Facebook and other social media platforms and directed to a link to download the “D4 Durian” app for payment.

“Upon clicking the link, a page that resembles an ‘FPX Transaction’ page will appear. Once the victim enters his username and password, the payment system will hang.

“The victim will then get a message from the bank to say money has been transferred from their account to a third-party account, of an amount larger than the intended purchase,” they said, according to a Harian Metro report.

The police reminded the public not to download any apps that seemed dodgy and not to reveal their usernames and passwords to third parties.

“Always be careful when making online transactions,” they said.