Accountant loses RM122,700 in elaborate police impersonation phone scam
The victim lodged a report yesterday, claiming she had been duped in a well-orchestrated scam that began with a call from someone claiming to be an employee of a popular courier service.
District police chief Superintendent Mohammad Shofee Tayib said the suspect told the victim that a suspicious package under her name had been intercepted, allegedly containing bank savings account books and ATM tokens.
"When the victim denied any involvement nor had any knowledge of the package, the call was transferred to a man posing as a police officer from the Perlis police contingent headquarters," Shofee said
"He claimed her name was listed on the police's wanted list. Believing the claim, the victim followed the scammer's instructions.
"Between June 18 and July 11, She made eight online bank transfers into four bank accounts amounting to RM122,700 between June 18 and July 11.
" The payments were supposedly for clearing her name from the 'wanted list'," Shofee said in a statement today.
She only realised she had been scammed after failing to reach both the imposters.
The case is investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating, which carries a jail term of up to 10 years, whipping, and a fine.
Shofee urged the public to remain vigilant and to verify any suspicious calls, especially those involving alleged criminal investigations or courier-related claims.
For scam-related enquiries or verification, the public may contact the National Scam Response Centre via 997, check mule accounts using the "Semak Mule" portal, or download the 'Whoscall' app for caller identification.
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