KUCHING: A 47-year-old woman lost over RM1.5 million after falling victim to a phone scam syndicate that impersonated police officers and court officials.
Kuching City Police Chief, ACP Alexson Naga Chabu, said the Commercial Crime Investigation Division (CCID) was alerted to the case on Feb 9.
“The victim was first contacted on Dec 23, 2025, while at home, by an individual claiming to be from Bukit Aman, who alleged that her phone number had been used for fraudulent activities.
“The call was later transferred to another individual posing as a police officer from Kajang Police Headquarters, who accused the victim of being involved in money laundering,” he said in a statement.
Alexson added that the woman was subsequently instructed to communicate with several individuals claiming to be police officers and court officials, who convinced her that her name was linked to criminal activities.
“Under the suspects’ instructions, the victim made 18 fund transfers into seven different bank accounts, amounting to RM1,547,727.
“She only realised she had been scammed on Feb 1 after discovering that all WhatsApp conversations with the suspects had been deleted,” he added.
Alexson said the case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property, which carries a penalty of between one and 10 years’ imprisonment, whipping and a possible fine upon conviction.
Police advised the public not to panic when receiving suspicious calls and to immediately end such conversations.
They also urged individuals not to disclose personal or banking information to unknown callers, and to verify suspicious matters with the nearest police station.
Members of the public are encouraged to check suspicious bank account numbers and phone numbers via the official Semak Mule portal at https://semakmule.rmp.gov.my.
For enquiries or complaints related to scams, the public may contact the Sarawak CCID hotline at 011-62890089 or the National Scam Response Center (NSRC) hotline at 997, which operates 24 hours a day.
