Malaysia

Woman loses over RM350,000 in elaborate phone scam posing as police

A 58-year-old restaurant owner in Tangkak has fallen victim to a sophisticated phone scam, losing more than RM350,000 after being deceived by imposters claiming to be police officers

Updated 8 months ago · Published on 28 Jan 2026 10:15AM

Woman loses over RM350,000 in elaborate phone scam posing as police
The information handed over allowed the third parties to seize control of her online banking account and transfer the substantial sum without her knowledge - January 28, 2026

A LOCAL businesswoman has been defrauded of RM364,500 after unidentified scammers posing as police officers convinced her she was under investigation for money laundering.

The 58-year-old restaurant owner reportedly received a phone call in which the perpetrators accused her of illegal financial activity, prompting her to provide sensitive banking details and one-time passwords (OTPs) sent by her bank.

Chief of Police for the Tangkak District, Superintendent Roslan Mohd Talib, said the information handed over allowed the third parties to seize control of her online banking account and transfer the substantial sum without her knowledge.

Following the incident, the victim filed a police report to initiate a formal investigation.

Roslan confirmed that authorities are probing the matter under Section 420 of the Penal Code, which covers cheating that induces a person to deliver property.

“Members of the public are urged to verify any claims made by individuals purporting to be law enforcement before disclosing sensitive information,” he advised.

“Those approached by such callers should immediately contact the National Scam Response Centre to prevent any further outflow of funds from their accounts.” - January 28, 2026

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