KUALA LUMPUR – Police have discovered an online scam syndicate (of the Macau scam variety) that used fake video calls involving facial images of police officers to contact victims allegedly involved in money laundering and corruption cases.
Sentul district police chief Beh Eng Lai said a syndicate member would introduce himself as an insurance officer before a “police officer” was brought online to accuse the victim of being involved in the crimes.
“This syndicate confuses the public by making video calls using the application to prove the authenticity of the caller when in fact, it has been modified to show mouth movements and edited facial images.
“This tactic can deceive the public and result in losses,” he said in a statement last night.
He said a police report regarding the fake video call was lodged on Monday by a 40-year-old housewife who fell victim to the syndicate.
“The case is being investigated under Section 420/511 of the Penal Code for attempted fraud,” he said, adding that the public should be careful with calls received.
Beh said police were serious about cases involving fake calls that used profile pictures of police and other enforcement officers to deceive the public.
The public is advised to visit this website or contact the Sentul district police headquarters at 03-40482222 to check or report on suspicious activities involving the syndicate. – Bernama, January 5, 2022
