In a statement, the association said these scams involve “irresponsible parties” selling low-quality wood furniture and carvings either physically or online.

Peka president Farosham Naizamohideen said while such scams were limited to physical sales in furniture stores when first detected 10 years ago, they were now prevalent on online platforms.

“The public is advised to be vigilant and not easily deceived by unreasonable offers on social media, and to check the authenticity of wood furniture and wood carving companies on www.pekapgrm.com before making any transactions,” said Farosham.

“This has an indirect negative impact on the industry, and entrepreneurs face pressure from customers expecting unreasonably low prices as influenced by the prices offered by these scammers.”

Farosham called on the Malaysian Timber Industry Board (MTIB) to monitor the issue, adding that the issuance of furniture store licences could help curb the problem.

He said while business licences for furniture stores are currently under the jurisdiction of local authorities, Peka had asked MTIB to create special licences for furniture stores.

“But there is a limitation because the MTIB Act only focusses on fully wooden products, while furniture often contains other materials such as iron,” said Farosham.

He added that Peka is actively combating these scams through awareness campaigns which showcase legitimate companies registered under the association.

A total of 252 companies had registered under Peka as of October.