MIRI: A businesswoman lost her life savings of RM588,000 after being duped by a phone scam syndicate posing as officers from the National Scam Response Centre (NSRC) and the police.
The 61-year-old victim had received a call from an unknown number, where the caller introduced himself as an NSRC officer, and alleged that she was involved in a scam syndicate.
She was then transferred to another individual who claimed to be a police officer from Kuantan District Police Headquarters (IPD).
The suspect told her that she needed to verify her assets by transferring all her savings into a bank account as instructed.
Miri Police chief, ACP Mohd Farhan Lee Abdullah, said the victim, believing the claim to be true, made several bank counter transactions amounting to RM588,000, purportedly for auditing purposes.
“However, truth came to light when the victim realised that she had been cheated after the suspect continued to demand additional payments.
“All the money lost was from the victim’s own savings,” he said.
The woman then reported the incident to the police on September 10, and the case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating and dishonestly inducing the delivery of property.
Farhan advised the public not to panic or disclose personal information over the phone, even if the caller claims to be from an official agency, and to verify any suspicious calls through legitimate channels.
The public may also contact NSRC at 997 if they have just made transactions to scam accounts, or check suspicious phone numbers and bank accounts via http://semakmule.rmp.gov.my before carrying out any financial dealings.
