Woman loses almost RM180,000 to phone scammer

SEREMBAN: A 66-year-old woman lost a total of RM173,500 to a phone scam here.

Seremban OCPD Asst Comm Mohamad Hatta Che Din said the victim lodged a report on Wednesday (Feb 28) upon realising that she had been cheated.

"The victim first received a call from a courier company. The caller then told her that there was a package for her before the call was transferred to another person, who claimed to be a police officer," he said in a statement on Thursday (Feb 29).

ACP Mohamad Hatta said the "officer" then told the victim that she had a record of being involved in money-laundering.

She was also told that an arrest warrant for her had been issued.

The victim was then instructed to transfer her savings into several accounts, pending a probe.

"Feeling afraid, she did as instructed. The victim only realised that she had been scammed after she could no longer contact them," he said.

ACP Mohamad Hatta said the case would be investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating.

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

"We would like to remind the public to exercise caution when they receive such calls," he said.

The public can contact the police's Scam Response Centre at 03-2610 1559 / 1599 to verify such information.