3 days ago
Retiree loses RM108,000 to phone scammers
TANGKAK: A 58-year-old retiree lost about RM108,000 of her savings after receiving a call from scammers impersonating as officers from government agencies.
Tangkak OCPD Supt Roslan Mohd Talib said the woman was contacted by individuals claiming to be from the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission and the police.
'The suspects accused her of being involved in suspicious investment and loan activities, and she started to panic.
'The suspects manipulated the victim into believing she was being audited. Out of fear, she followed the instructions given, including transferring money into an account supposedly for audit purposes,' he said here yesterday.
The victim ended up making 16 transactions from her account to two bank accounts, believed to be mule accounts.
'She only realised she had been cheated after suffering losses totalling RM108,520. She lodged a police report on Sunday,' said Supt Roslan.
The case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating.
Supt Roslan warned the public not to fall for phone scams, particularly those involving callers posing as enforcement officers or government servants.
'We advise the public to verify suspicious calls before taking any action. Be cautious and always get the latest updates on scams through official platforms like Facebook, Instagram and TikTok pages of the Commercial Crime Investigation Department,' he said.
Supt Roslan urged anyone who believes they have been scammed to immediately contact the National Scam Response Centre (NSRC) at 997 for early intervention to block fund transfers.
