A 40-YEAR-OLD school teacher from Maran has lost RM230,000 after falling victim to a sophisticated fraud syndicate that manipulated her into believing she was under investigation for money laundering.
In a statement on Friday, Pahang police chief Yahaya Othman said the scam began on 16 June, when the victim received a phone call from someone claiming to be an insurance officer.
The call was later transferred to several other individuals posing as police officers, a deputy public prosecutor, and even representatives from Bank Negara Malaysia.
“The suspects told the victim she was involved in money laundering activities and that 23 bank accounts had been registered under her name,” said Yahaya.
The scammers then instructed her to open a new bank account and apply for a loan. Once approved, she was told to deposit the loaned amount, along with her savings and proceeds from pawning her jewellery, into the new account.
Between 24 June and 2 September, the victim carried out 11 transactions totalling RM230,447, transferring the funds to various bank accounts provided by the syndicate. It was only afterwards that she realised she had been conned and lodged a police report.
“The victim believed the payments would delay the issuance of an arrest warrant and prevent her assets from being frozen,” Yahaya added.
Authorities are urging the public to verify suspicious bank accounts through the police’s Semak Mule portal at [https://semakmule.rmp.gov.my](https://semakmule.rmp.gov.my) before making any online transactions.
They also advised anyone who suspects they are being targeted by a scam to immediately contact the National Scam Response Centre (NSRC) at 997. - Sept 5, 2025