Lecturer loses over RM2.5mil to Macau scam

KUANTAN: A female lecturer lost over RM2.5 million after being deceived by a scammer who pretended to be an insurance agent early this year.

Pahang police chief Datuk Yahaya Othman said the 52-year-old woman received a call from the suspect on Jan 22 to investigate a false claim and money laundering case allegedly involving the victim.

"The suspect then instructed the victim to open two new bank accounts as temporary investigation accounts and provide banking details, including a photo of her bank card and the password, to the suspect.

"The victim was also asked to transfer all her savings into the two accounts, which she did by withdrawing money from her bank, Tabung Haji, and Amanah Saham Bumiputera accounts,” he said in a statement on Thursday (May 18).

He said the victim suspected she had been cheated when she could not contact the suspect to enquire about the status of the investigation and found the money in the two bank accounts had been withdrawn without her knowledge.

The victim lodged a police report at the Kuantan District Police Headquarters on Wednesday (May 17).

Yahaya advised the public to be vigilant against the tactics of scammers.

He also said that the public could visit https://semakmule.rmp.gov.my to check any matters related to bank accounts and telephone numbers before carrying out financial transactions. - Bernama