A FEMALE undergraduate from a public university in Malaysia has been defrauded of RM187,800 in a sophisticated phone scam carried out by individuals posing as authorities, according to Kuala Terengganu District Police Chief, Assistant Commissioner Azli Mohd Noor.
The student lodged a report at the Kuala Terengganu police station at 9.43pm on 11 August.
According to Azli, the ordeal began on 4 August when the victim received a phone call from someone claiming to represent an electronic payment platform. The caller accused her of misusing the service and subsequently transferred her to others impersonating police officers and a man claiming to be a “Datuk”.
“In the course of the conversation, she was accused of involvement in money laundering and drug-related activities,” said Azli. “The scammers then instructed her to transfer funds for so-called investigative purposes, which led to losses amounting to RM187,800.”
Between 4 and 9 August, the victim made eight bank transfers via ATM to six different accounts. On 9 August, she was further directed to hand over three bracelets, five rings and a pendant to a woman by the roadside at Jalan Pantai Penarik in Setiu.
She began to suspect foul play when the scammers demanded that she surrender all her family’s gold jewellery.
“She was unable to identify the woman she handed the items to, as the suspect was wearing a face mask at the time,” Azli added.
The money transferred consisted of the student’s personal savings, her parents’ bank funds, and family gold jewellery. She had used her parents’ ATM cards without their knowledge to make the transfers.
The case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating. - August 12, 2025
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