A FORMER sports coach in Penang lost RM838,328 after being duped by a 'phone scam' syndicate linking him to criminal activities which include spreading false information and money laundering.
Penang Police Chief Datuk Azizee Ismail said the Commercial Crime Investigation Division (CCID) of the Northeast District Police Headquarters (IPD) received a report on the case from the 75-year-old man yesterday, who claimed that his money was believed to have been transferred to a third-party account.
"The results of the investigation found that the victim received a phone call from an individual who introduced himself as a police officer from the CCID, supposedly to inform him that his name had been blacklisted and that he was suspected of being involved in spreading false information.
"The victim denied it before the suspect claimed that the man was involved in a money laundering case and asked for personal details including bank account information," he said in a statement.
Azizee said the victim then followed all instructions given, including transferring money from a fixed savings account to a bank account in the victim's own name before all the automated teller machine (ATM) cards and password numbers were handed over, supposedly for investigation purposes by Bank Negara (BNM).
He said the victim was ordered to put all the ATM cards in an envelope and leave them at the housing guard post area.
"After the handover was made on August 11, the victim went to the bank to check before finding that all his savings had been transferred to an unknown third party account.
"The victim lodged a police report realising that he had been deceived and the case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating," he said.
In this regard, Azizee said the public is advised to be careful with suspicious phone calls, especially those asking for personal information or banking details. - September 4, 2025
