JOHOR BARU: A 35-year-old woman lost RM486,000 to a scammer who impersonated her employer and instructed her to transfer company funds into a bank account.
Johor Baru North acting OCPD Supt Azrol Anuar Nor said the victim lodged a police report on Friday (Oct 30).
“The victim received a text message at about 10am on the same day from a phone number belonging to an individual posing as her employer.
"The individual instructed the victim to transfer RM486,000 in company funds into a suspect's bank account for the purported payment of a new contract," he said here on Saturday (Oct 31).
Supt Azrol Anuar added the victim realised she had been scammed when the individual requested another transfer of the same amount, citing a different reason.
“The victim subsequently tried contacting her employer through a WhatsApp call but received no response.
“She later discovered that her employer's phone number had been hacked,” he said, adding that the case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating.
Supt Azrol Anuar advised the public to remain vigilant against commercial crime syndicates and exercise caution when receiving requests to transfer money through phone calls or messaging applications, even if they appear to come from someone they know.
He urged the public to verify such instructions directly with their employers through other trusted communication channels before making any payments.
Supt Azrol Anuar also advised people to check the legitimacy of recipients and bank accounts through the police's Semak Mule portal at semakmule.rmp.gov.my before proceeding with transactions.
He said anyone who suspects they have fallen victim to a scam should immediately contact the police or the National Scam Response Centre (NSRC) at 997.
