By: Zaki Saleh
IPOH: With just one phone call, a housewife fell victim to deception, losing RM181,650 after becoming a victim of a scam.
The incident occurred in Taiping yesterday involving a 65-year-old Chinese woman.
Perak Police Chief, Dato’ Sri Mohd Yusri Hassan Basri, said the victim received a phone call from a party claiming to be a courier company.
She received the call while at home at around 2:08 pm.
“The caller, a Chinese woman, claimed to be an employee of a courier company in Kuantan, Pahang.
“She informed the victim that she had sent a package containing 3 identity cards, 3 passports, and 2 ATM cards.
“However, the victim denied making any such delivery.
“She then received a call from another Chinese man claiming to be from a courier company in Kuantan before connecting the call to what was purportedly the Pahang Contingent Police Headquarters,” he said in a statement.
The Chinese man claimed to have made a police report and asked the victim to check via WhatsApp and then she received a video call from WhatsApp.
Another Chinese man who introduced himself as Inspector Chong informed the victim that she was involved in money laundering with Public Bank management in Taiping.
It involved transactions totalling RM151,000, but she denied it.
“The victim was then asked to contact a senior police officer named Datuk Yong, allegedly from the Pahang State Police Headquarters, to help resolve the case.
“The victim, anxious, revealed her bank account identity. She also made 20 money transfer transactions to 4 different bank accounts involving a total of RM181,650.
“She realized she had been duped and subsequently made a police report, and the case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code,” he said.
In this regard, the police reminded the public to be cautious and not to entertain calls from unknown parties.
