MIRI: A civil servant was left RM155,000 poorer after scammers convinced her that her phone number had been used in a fraud case – then told her the only way to “settle” it was to transfer her money.
The woman was initially contacted by an individual claiming to represent the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), before being connected to another person who allegedly posed as a police officer.
She was told her phone number had been implicated in a fraud case, leaving her fearing that she could be in serious legal trouble.
Miri police said the scammers then instructed her to make a police report online and to keep the matter secret from her family and others.
“She was later told to transfer money purportedly to settle the case and assist with the investigation.
“Convinced by the ruse, the victim made 14 transactions amounting to RM155,000 into two bank accounts,” police said.
Police reminded the public that genuine enforcement agencies, including the police, MCMC, National Scam Response Centre (NSRC) and other law enforcement bodies, will never instruct anyone to transfer money to an individual or specific bank account to settle a case or facilitate an investigation.
Members of the public who receive suspicious calls should remain calm and avoid blindly following instructions.
They should also never disclose personal or banking information, one-time passwords (OTPs) or transaction authorisation codes (TACs).
Police advised them to discuss suspicious calls with family members or someone they trust rather than keeping them secret, and to verify any claims directly with the relevant agency through official channels.
Anyone who has just transferred money to a suspected scammer should contact the NSRC at 997 immediately.
