KUCHING: A 41-year-old woman has lost RM56,000 after falling victim to a sophisticated phone scam.
Kuching Police Chief ACP Alexson Naga Chabu said the scam began on Sept 4, when the victim received a call from a man claiming to be Faizal Madnoor, an officer from an insurance agency.
The caller alleged that her personal information had been used to file a false insurance claim of RM68,000 at KPJ Damansara Hospital.
When the victim denied the claim, the call was transferred to another individual who claimed to be Sergeant Mohd Remi from IPD Bukit Aman, who accused her of being involved in money laundering.
The victim was then instructed to make payments to resolve the case, which led to the four bank transfers. It was only after discussing the matter with her husband that she realized she had been defrauded.
Alexson urged the public to stay alert, never provide personal or banking details to unknown callers, and immediately verify suspicious calls or transactions with the nearest police station.
From Jan 1 to Nov 10, 91 cases involving similar scam tactics were recorded in Kuching, resulting in total losses of RM4.66 million, including this latest case.
Authorities also advised the public to check suspicious phone numbers or bank accounts on the official PDRM portal at https://semakmule.rmp.gov.my, or report scams via the Sarawak Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID) hotline at 011-62890089, email kjsjkswk@rmp.gov.my, or the National Scam Response Centre (NSRC) at 997.
