A woman who allegedly tried to scam travellers outside the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) has gone viral after a video showed her running away with her luggage when confronted on camera.
In the clip, a man films the woman after suspecting she had approached him earlier asking for money for a taxi.
When he asks her to repeat what she said, she avoids answering, walks away, then suddenly breaks into a run across the drop off area.
Netizens quickly joked that she ran “like she was late for a flight”. The dramatic sprint soon became a meme across Malaysian social media.
The man later explained that the woman had claimed in Mandarin that she came to Kuala Lumpur for business, got separated from her friends, and had no money.
Believing it was a scam attempt, he refused to give cash. When he later saw her approaching another traveller, he decided to film and confront her.
Malaysia Airports joins the conversation
As the video spread, Malaysia Airports posted an official travel advisory on its social media pages.
The post warned travellers to beware of unauthorised individuals approaching passengers for money within airport areas.
It reminded the public not to engage, not to give cash, and to report such incidents to airport staff or security officers.
Interestingly, the advisory graphic showed an illustrated woman pulling luggage and running across an airport drop off lane.
Many netizens noticed the resemblance to the viral clip, joking that the airport had turned the alleged scammer into a public service meme.
One popular comment summed it up simply: ‘She became the meme.’
Netizens share similar encounters
In the comment section, several users claimed they had experienced similar situations at KLIA.
One commenter said a woman with luggage had approached him two weeks earlier, asking if he could speak Mandarin before requesting help. Another said such encounters also happen in shopping malls.
Others called for stronger security presence, while some questioned where travellers should report such incidents.
While the viral sprint has provided plenty of laughs online, the incident has also raised real concerns about scam attempts in public spaces.
If someone approaches you for money at the airport, walk away and alert airport staff instead of reaching for your wallet.
