MUAR: An electrician in Johor claimed to suffer losses amounting to RM118,400 after being scammed by a caller impersonating a police officer from Selangor.
Muar OCPD Asst Comm Raiz Mukhliz Azman Aziz said the victim, a 53-year-old local man, received a WhatsApp call from an individual claiming to be a police officer from the Kajang district police headquarters on Oct 1.
“The suspect accused the victim of being involved in money laundering and accepting bribes in Sabah,” he said here on Tuesday night (Oct 28).
ACP Raiz Mukhliz added that the suspect instructed the victim to open a new bank account and register it using a phone number provided by the suspect, which enabled the suspect to access the newly opened account.
“The victim was then told to transfer all his savings into the new account on the pretext that it was for investigation purposes. When the victim later checked the account on Monday (Oct 27), he found that RM118,400 had been withdrawn without his knowledge,” he said.
ACP Raiz Mukhliz added that the case was being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating, which carries a jail term of between one and 10 years, with whipping and a possible fine upon conviction.
He also urged the public to remain vigilant against suspicious phone calls that could be scams.
“Do not disclose personal details such as bank account numbers, identity card information, or one-time passwords (OTP) to unknown callers.
“Always refer to verified sources like the Commercial Crime Investigation Department’s official Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok pages for information on scam tactics,” he said.
ACP Raiz Mukhliz added that the public can also verify suspicious bank account numbers or phone numbers through the official Semak Mule portal at https://semakmule.rmp.gov.my before conducting any financial transactions.
