A 56-YEAR-OLD female teacher in Hulu Terengganu lost RM144,152 from her savings after falling prey to a scam involving a man who posed as an officer from the National Scam Response Centre, police said.
Hulu Terengganu police chief Supt Sharudin Abdul Wahab said the 56-year-old victim was first contacted on Nov 17 by the suspect, who accused her of being involved in the circulation of fake government aid links and money laundering activities.
According to Sharudin, the caller convinced the victim that she was under investigation and instructed her to surrender her ATM card and personal identification number, claiming they were required for police inquiries.
“On Dec 4, the suspect contacted the victim again and told her to place the ATM card at a signboard behind a school.
“Out of fear of legal action and imprisonment, the victim panicked and complied without verifying the claim,” he said in a statement issued today.
Sharudin said the victim only realised she had been scammed after discovering that RM144,152 had been withdrawn from her bank account.
Police checks revealed that five unauthorised withdrawals were carried out by unknown individuals between Dec 4 and Dec 8.
He said the victim lodged a police report last Wednesday and that the case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating.
Sharudin urged the public to remain vigilant and to verify suspicious calls or messages with the police, the Semak Mule portal, the Securities Commission or Bank Negara Malaysia’s Alert List before taking any action. - December 26, 2025
