KUCHING: Another phone scam, another victim.
This time around a 75-year-old woman lost RM706,000 after falling victim to fraudsters impersonating officials from the National Scam Response Centre (NSRC) and falsely accusing her of being involved in criminal activities.
Kuching police chief ACP Alexson Naga Chabu said that on Aug 28 the victim received a call from an unknown individual.
“The caller, claiming to be ‘SJN Chong’ from NSRC, alleged that her identity card was linked to criminal fraud and the receipt of illicit funds.
“The call was then transferred to another number, belonging to a man identified as ‘Tuan Ling’.
“The communication later shifted to WhatsApp, where the suspect instructed the victim to transfer money purportedly for “
‘investigations’ by Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM),” he said in a statement.
Believing the claims, Alexson added that the elderly victim made two separate bank transfers into two company accounts, amounting to a total loss of RM706,000.
“She only realised she had been duped after confiding in a friend, who advised her to lodge a police report,” he added.
Alexson said the case, reported on Nov 19, is one of 93 phone scam cases recorded by the Kuching Commercial Crime Investigation Division (CCID) between Jan 1 and Nov 19 this year, involving total losses of RM6.67 million.
He said the case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating and dishonestly inducing the delivery of property, which carries a jail term of between one and 10 years, whipping and a possible fine upon conviction.
The police reminded members of the public not to panic when receiving suspicious calls and to immediately terminate such conversations.
They also urged the public not to disclose personal or banking details to unknown individuals.
“Always verify by contacting the nearest police station and check suspicious bank accounts or phone numbers via the Semak Mule portal,” Alexson stated.
For inquiries or reports, the public may contact the CCID Sarawak hotline at 011-62890089, email kjsjkswk@rmp.gov.my, or reach NSRC through its 24-hour hotline at 997.
