SIBU: A shop assistant was left RM73,900 poorer after scammers impersonating as DHL staff and police officers convinced her that she was under investigation for money laundering.
The unfortunate ordeal happened on Nov 6 when the woman, in her 20s, received a call from an individual allegedly from DHL, claiming that she sent a package containing a cheque and a bank token under her name.
Shortly after, the call was transferred to a man pretending to be a police officer, who accused her of involvement in money laundering and selling personal information.
Sibu police chief ACP Zulkipli Suhaili said the victim was instructed to make several transactions into bank accounts provided for supposed investigation purposes.
“Believing to be genuine, the woman transferred a total of RM73,900 via four transactions to different local bank accounts.
“It was only after completing the payments that she realised she had been scammed and immediately reported the matter to police,” he said.
The case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating and dishonestly inducing the delivery of property.
In light of this, Zulkipli advised the public to remain calm and not panic when receiving calls from strangers claiming to represent government agencies or financial institutions.
For further inquiry, members of the public can contact the National Scam Response Centre (NSRC) at 997, follow Facebook pages @CyberCrimeAlertRMP and @JSJKPDRM, or verify suspicious bank accounts and phone numbers at http://ccid.rmp.gov.my/semakmule/.
