By: Zaki Salleh
IPOH – Despite repeated reports on online scams, fraudsters continue to deceive their victims with the same tactics.
In the latest case in Taiping, a 65-year-old retired bank officer lost a staggering RM1.4 million after falling prey to a scam.
The modus operandi used was familiar, where the caller impersonated an officer from a government department or agency to trick the victim.
Perak Police Chief, Datuk Pahlawan Azizi Mat Aris, said his department received a report regarding the incident from the victim on Monday.
According to him, the victim initially received a phone call on August 11 from an individual claiming to be an officer from the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC).
The victim was informed that her ATM card had allegedly been involved in a money laundering operation.
“She was then connected to a man who identified himself as a police sergeant, claiming that the case was under investigation by the police.
“Subsequently, several other individuals contacted her, including one impersonating an Assistant Superintendent (ASP), who instructed her to open several bank accounts at Hong Leong Bank, Affin Bank, and AmBank.
“The victim was told to transfer her money into the newly opened accounts. She was then asked to place all her ATM cards in an envelope and leave it on the grass at a specified location,” he said in a statement.
Azizi added that the suspect assured the victim that the money would be withdrawn for investigation purposes and would be returned once the process was completed.
“After that, the victim received messages about withdrawals from her accounts between August 23 and September 11.
“Only after checking her bank statements did the victim realize she had been scammed,” he explained.
The case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating.
Azizi also reminded the public to remain vigilant and not fall victim to phone scams by unknown callers.
