SIBU: A housewife in her 30s lost RM234,400 after falling victim to a phone scam.
Sibu OCPD Asst Comm Zulkipli Suhaili said the victim's ordeal began on August 2 when she received a call from a man claiming to be an officer of the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC).
“The suspect alleged that the victim’s telephone number had been used for money-laundering activities, before transferring the call to another individual who introduced himself as a police officer,” he said in a statement on Monday (August 25).
He added that the suspect instructed the victim to disclose details of her savings, asked her to pawn her jewellery, and transfer money into several bank accounts for so-called investigation purposes.
“The anxious and fearful victim complied, making 20 transactions into seven different bank accounts amounting to RM234,400 between August 11 and 16.
“Subsequently, she felt she had been cheated after all attempts to contact the suspect failed, and lodged a police report,” he added.
Zulkipli said the case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code for fraud.
He reminded members of the public not to panic when receiving calls from unknown individuals claiming to represent government agencies or financial institutions.
“For further advice or information, the public may contact the National Scam Response Centre (NSRC) at 997, or visit the Facebook pages @CyberCrimeAlertRMP and @JSJKPDRM.
“They may also verify suspicious accounts and telephone numbers through the website https://ccid.rmp.gov.my/semakmule/,” he said.
