By Balqis Jazimah Zahari
TAIPING: A government pensioner was scammed of RM186,350 by a syndicate using the ‘Phone scam’ modus operandi.
Taiping District Police Chief, Assistant Commissioner Razlam Ab Hamid said the police received a police report from a man regarding the case at about 6.24pm last Saturday.
He said, as a result of preliminary investigations, the police found that on August 24, the victim received a call from a man (suspect) using the phone number 012-2334005.
“The individual identified himself as an official from the Kuala Lumpur Post Office and told the victim that there was a parcel containing the victim’s identity card and several credit cards en route to Sarawak.
“Immediately after that, the victim was supposedly connected to District Police Headquarters (IPD) Melaka whereby the victim denied being involved with the alleged parcel.
Razlam said, then the victim’s call was allegedly connected to a police officer with the rank of Dato’ (the second suspect).
“The 2nd suspect told the victim that money amounting to RM146,450 needed to be transferred to a given account, for the purpose of investigation by the officers of the The Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001 (AMLA).
“Because the victim was afraid, the victim obeyed the instructions of the second suspect.
Between August 24 and 26, the victim made 36 transactions such as cash deposits and money transfers, totaling RM186,450 to six bank accounts used by the syndicate.
“Immediately after that, the second suspect said that he would inform the victim after completing the AMLA investigation within 30 minutes.
“However, after 30 minutes passed, the victim did not receive any response from the second suspect. The victim called the line again but the call was blocked,” he said.
He said the victim realised that he had been cheated and made a police report.
“The case is being investigated under section 420 of the penal code (cheating) and the investigation is still ongoing,” he said.
