KOTA BARU: A company investment manager lost about RM1.2mil after being duped by a scam syndicate through a phone call.
Police said the single mother, in her 50s, was targeted in July by an impostor posing as an authority and accusing her of money laundering.
Kelantan police chief Comm Datuk Mohd Yusoff Mamat said the woman complied with the suspect’s instructions to withdraw her savings – including her EPF funds – and pawn and sell jewellery worth nearly RM500,000.
“Most concerningly, the woman took about two months before lodging a police report, after all her money had been withdrawn and handed over to the perpetrators.
“She knew that she was not involved in money laundering, but because she was so frightened, she did not tell her family members or the police,” he said in a press conference at the Kelantan contingent police headquarters (IPK) here yesterday.
Mohd Yusoff said the syndicate spoofed their caller ID to display official police numbers.
He said police detected about 68 calls a day using the Kelantan IPK’s number, and the matter is now under investigation.
“Neither the police nor agencies such as Bank Negara Malaysia will call members of the public and instruct them to withdraw money or open a new account.
“If you receive such a call, hang up and contact the relevant agency through its official channels to verify the matter,” he said.
He said the police had also sought assistance from Bukit Aman to track down individuals believed to be involved in the scam, Bernama reported.
The case was among the largest individual losses recorded in Kelantan.
He added that police would intensify awareness campaigns through the media to curb commercial crime, which showed an increase year after year.
