SEGAMAT: A 78-year-old woman lost over RM300,000 in life savings after allegedly falling victim to scammers using “black magic” that saw her being taken across state lines to withdraw her money.
Retiree Gan Siew Chew said the ordeal began on the morning of April 3 as she was walking to a market near her home in Labis here to buy groceries.
“A young man approached me and claimed he had bought fruits from me before. I used to sell fruits and soya bean drinks for over 40 years, so I thought he might have been a former customer and struck up a conversation with him.
“He then said I had won RM200,000 in a bank lucky draw and asked me to return home to get my personal documents to claim the prize,” she recalled.
“I remember feeling dazed as the two men smoked continuously during the journey.
“I believe I was put under some kind of spell, as my recollection of what happened next is very hazy,” she said, adding that the suspects claimed arrangements had been made with bank officers for her to collect the winnings.
Gan was driven to Negri Sembilan, where she was taken to three banks in Rembau and Senawang to withdraw her savings.
Gan’s daughter, who only wanted to be known as Lim, said her mother’s movements were later pieced together through bank records and CCTV footage.
Gan was allegedly coerced into liquidating multiple fixed deposit accounts within hours, transferring and withdrawing large sums of money for the scammers.
She also lost RM7,000 set aside for grave repairs during the Qing Ming Festival period, bringing her total losses to RM307,000.
“According to the bank, my mother cited land purchase and renovation works as the reasons for the transactions.
“One bank staff member grew suspicious and questioned her several times, but she became agitated and claimed she was with her grandson and needed the cash for renovations,” Lim said.
The suspects later dropped Gan off at a bank in Tangkak before fleeing.
She said she only regained full awareness when approached by a security guard shortly before the bank closed.
The family has lodged police reports in Negri Sembilan and Johor, and sought assistance from Bekok assemblyman Tan Chong.
