KUANTAN: A 71-year-old retiree lost over RM140,000 of his savings after falling victim to a phone scam syndicate posing as enforcement officers from a government agency.
Raub Police chief, Supt Mohd Shahril Abdul Rahman, said the victim received a call on Aug 15 from an unknown individual who claimed to be an officer from the National Financial Crime Prevention Centre (NFCC) in Putrajaya and alleged that the victim’s bank account was linked to money laundering activities.
"The call was then transferred to another individual who posed as a police officer who confirmed the accusation and instructed the victim to provide front and back images of his bank card,” Supt Mohd Shahril said in a statement on Tuesday (Oct 7).
He said the scam escalated when the victim was told to transfer RM109,950 to an unknown account on Aug 25, followed by a second transfer of RM30,650 on Sept 12, all under the direction of the fraudsters.
"The victim used personal savings and proceeds from his investment shares to make the transfers. It wasn’t until he attempted to contact the suspects to retrieve his money, only to be met with silence, that he realised he had been duped,” said Supt Mohd Shahril, adding that the case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating.
Supt Mohd Shahril also advised the public not to disclose any banking or personal information to unknown individuals over the phone.
For suspicious transactions or to verify accounts, the public is advised to visit www.semakmule.rmp.gov.my or contact the National Scam Response Centre (NSRC) via the 997 hotline. - Bernama
