GEORGE TOWN: A private company manager lost more than RM2.54mil after falling victim to a phone scam syndicate that falsely accused him of involvement in criminal activities in an incident here.
Penang police chief Datuk Azizee Ismail said the 54-year-old man was deceived after receiving a call on Feb 21 at his home in George Town from an individual claiming to be a cybersecurity officer.
He said the suspect alleged that 16 complaints had been lodged against the victim’s phone number, purportedly linked to investment scams and the spread of false information.
"The victim denied the allegations and was instructed to lodge an online police report, after which the call was allegedly connected to a Bukit Aman police officer who questioned him and claimed he was also suspected of money laundering and drug trafficking,” he said in a statement on Tuesday (Dec 16).
Azizee said the suspect later threatened the victim with arrest if he failed to comply with all instructions given for investigation purposes.
He said the victim was subsequently instructed to open three bank accounts and leave the ATM cards along with their PIN numbers in front of his house, with assurances they would be returned after the investigation.
"Between March 4 and Sept 22, the victim made 12 fund transfers into the newly opened accounts. The suspect continued to demand additional payments until the man ran out of money on Dec 13,” he said.
Azizee said the victim lodged a police report at the Timur Laut District Police Headquarters last Sunday after realising he had been cheated.
He added that investigations are ongoing to trace the syndicate’s network, and the case is being probed under Section 420 of the Penal Code. - Bernama
