A 61-YEAR-OLD insurance clerk has lost RM601,850 of her life savings after falling victim to a sophisticated phone scam in which fraudsters falsely accused her of involvement in money laundering.
The incident began when the woman received a phone call from someone claiming to be a bank officer, alleging that her name had been misused in a fraudulent credit card application.
Penang Police Chief Datuk Azizee Ismail said the call was then transferred to an individual posing as a police officer from the Johor Police Headquarters.
“The so-called officer claimed the victim’s identity was linked to a money laundering investigation. She was then asked to provide personal details and active bank account information for verification purposes,” he said at a press briefing.
The victim, believing she was cooperating with authorities, was instructed to transfer funds to several bank accounts supposedly for ‘investigation purposes’. Over a two-week period between 14 and 28 August, she made 14 separate transactions amounting to RM601,850 across four different accounts.
“She only realised she had been deceived after confiding in her daughter, who advised her to report the matter to the police,” said Azizee.
The victim lodged a report at the Seberang Perai Tengah District Police Headquarters, and investigations are now underway under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating.
Police have once again urged the public to remain vigilant and not to disclose personal or banking information to unsolicited callers, regardless of the authority they claim to represent. - Sept 1, 2025
