A RETIRED Malaysian civil servant has lost RM658,520 after falling victim to a sophisticated phone scam in which fraudsters posed as police officers and a deputy public prosecutor, police in Marang said on Tuesday.
Marang district police chief Superintendent Mohd Sofian Redzuan said the 68-year-old man lodged a report after realising he had been deceived following a series of phone calls that began on 8 December.
“The suspect impersonated a police officer and claimed the victim was involved in money laundering and corruption activities. The following day, he received another phone call from an individual claiming to be a deputy public prosecutor,” Mohd Sofian said.
According to police, the victim was instructed to report in five times a day via WhatsApp, open a new bank account and transfer all funds from his existing accounts into the new one, purportedly for investigation purposes.
“The victim was ordered to comply and was told to open a new bank account and transfer all his savings on 14 December,” Mohd Sofian said in a statement.
He added that the man was later instructed to hand over all his banking and personal details to the supposed deputy public prosecutor and to follow every instruction given, including deleting WhatsApp conversation messages.
The victim only became aware he had been scammed after checking his bank account on 4 January and discovering a sharp drop in his balance, along with 19 suspicious transactions.
“A police report has been lodged and the case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code,” Mohd Sofian said. - January 6, 2025
