Retired teacher duped of RM480,000

SEREMBAN: Yet another individual has been duped, this time a retired teacher – who lost RM480,000 to scammers she had spoken to over the phone.

Seremban police chief Asst Comm Arifai Tarawe said the 56-year-old victim had received a call on Nov 15 from an individual claiming to be from a courier company and have a parcel containing a cheque book and an identity card registered under her name.

“She had also received a call about the parcel from the ‘police’ and was told that she had apparently committed an offence,” he said. He did not elaborate on the offence allegedly committed by the victim.

ACP Arifai said the scammers then told the victim that they would help her provided that she was prepared to open a new bank account and transfer all her savings into it.

The victim was then given an online link and told to follow all instructions.

“After she registered, she was asked to reveal personal information including her banking details.

“After some time she became suspicious about the whole episode and decided to check her savings with the bank.

“It was then she got a shock when told that a sum of RM480,000 that she had banked into the new account had been withdrawn,” said ACP Arifai.

She lodged a police report on Wednesday.

ACP Arifai reminded the public to be cautious and not to quickly believe that the person calling them was a government officer.

The public can always call the CCID Scam Response Centre at 03-2610 1559/1599, he said.

The case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating.

The offence carries a jail term of up to 10 years, whipping and a fine upon conviction.