KUALA LUMPUR – Police have recorded 1,421 impersonation scam cases through telephone calls nationwide from January to September 15 this year, involving losses of RM57,372,102.
Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID) director Datuk Mohd Kamarudin Md Din said, based on investigations, the syndicates would contact the victims by impersonating as officers from the police force, Inland Revenue Board, courts, Customs, or the Health Ministry and inform them of their involvements in investigations on crime cases.
“The victims would be directed to surrender their banking information such as user passwords, ATM card numbers, and transaction authorisation code numbers to the syndicates on the pretext of investigations by the authorities.
“The syndicates will also direct the victims to transfer money to the bank accounts of third parties (mule accounts) that they claim belong to Bank Negara officials for investigative purposes,” he said in a statement today.
He said the syndicates would promise to return the money after several days, and victims would realise they had been cheated when they failed to get back their money.
Kamarudin said that the authorities, especially police, would not deal through telephone calls especially involving matters related to government departments.
He said police only communicate via telephone to make appointments and conduct further business at the government offices concerned, and do not ask for any personal information such as banking passwords or amount of money in the bank via telephone calls.
Kamarudin urged the public to be more careful when dealing through telephone calls.
“The public is also reminded against sharing financial or banking information with anyone to avoid becoming victims of such scams. For inquiries, contact the CCID response centre at 03-261-0559/1599,” he said. – Bernama, September 27, 2021
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