MIRI: Miri OCPD Asst Comm Mohd Farhan Lee Abdullah said the Commercial Crime Investiga-tion Department (CCID) has received a report related to a phone scam lodged by a 66-year-old female pensioner who lost a total of RM2.24mil.
The woman’s ordeal began when she received a call from an unknown number, with the caller claiming to represent Touch ‘n Go and alleging her involvement in an online fraud syndicate.
“The call was then transferred to an individual posing as a police officer from the Penang Police Headquarters,” Mohd Farhan said in a statement yesterday.
The fraudster instructed the victim to withdraw all her savings, including her Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF) money, and surrender it via bank transfers, online payments, and cash deposits, purportedly for “investigation purposes”.
Believing the instructions to be authentic, the pensioner complied.
Some of the funds were even collected in person by an unknown man at a secluded location.
It was only after conducting her own checks that the woman realised she had been deceived and lodged a police report on Tuesday.
The victim’s entire financial resources, comprising savings and pension funds, were cleaned out. The case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating.
Mohd Farhan urged the public to be aware of such scam tactics, particularly those in which fraudsters impersonate authorities or financial institutions.
“Do not entertain suspicious calls, and always verify with official channels before making any transactions,” he cautioned.
