KUCHING: A 66-year-old retired private sector employee in Miri lost over RM2.24mil after falling victim to a phone scam syndicate impersonating Touch ‘n Go and police officers.
Miri Police chief ACP Mohd Farhan Lee Abdullah said the woman received a phone call from an individual claiming to be from Touch ‘n Go, who alleged that she was linked to an online fraud syndicate.
"The call was then transferred to a man posing as a police officer from the Penang Police Contingent headquarters, who instructed her to withdraw all her savings, including those from the Employees Provident Fund (EPF), supposedly for investigation purposes,” he said in a statement on Wednesday (Oct 1).
ACP Mohd Farhan said the victim subsequently handed over RM2,244,404 through over-the-counter bank transfers, online transactions and cash to an unknown man at a secluded location.
He said the victim only realised she had been duped after carrying out checks and verification before lodging a police report.
The case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code. - Bernama
