A 72-YEAR-old retired nurse has lost more than RM111,000 after falling victim to a phone scam involving individuals impersonating police officers and officials from the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC).
The scam began on 29 May when the pensioner received a call from a person claiming to be a government official. The caller alleged that her bank accounts were linked to a money laundering case involving a person named Ong We Kiat and a suspicious transaction amounting to RM210,000.
According to Pahang Police Chief, Datuk Seri Yahaya Othman, the call was then redirected to an individual who identified himself as ‘Inspector Zamri’ at the Pahang Police Contingent Headquarters.
“Inspector Zamri told the victim that her bank accounts would be referred to Bank Negara for further investigation and instructed her to hand over all her bank cards and PIN numbers, warning her not to inform anyone,” he said in a statement on Thursday.
Without suspecting foul play, the elderly woman complied and left her bank cards and corresponding PINs at the front of her home, where they were collected by an individual posing as a police officer from the Bentong District Police Headquarters.
The victim only realised she had been defrauded when she visited her bank and discovered that her savings, amounting to RM111,044 across multiple accounts, had been wiped out.
A police report was subsequently lodged at the Bentong District Police Headquarters on Wednesday. The case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating.
Datuk Seri Yahaya urged the public to exercise caution when receiving suspicious calls and to verify the authenticity of such communications directly with the relevant authorities before taking any action.
He also warned that scam tactics continue to evolve, especially in line with advancements in technology.
“The public must remain alert to emerging trends in online fraud. Criminals often use convincing tactics, including impersonating law enforcement and regulatory officers, to exploit victims' trust,” he added.- June 5, 2025
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