MIRI, Jan 19: Two Mirians, a businesswoman and a retired man, have recently been swindled, with the former losing RM24,250 and the latter RM49,000 to scams.
Miri police chief ACP Alexson Naga Chabu stated that both victims filed police reports on Jan 18.
The businesswoman, in her 50s, reported that she received a call from a stranger claiming to be an officer from the Miri Education Office and offered her a project to supply electrical equipment to schools.
“The suspect then introduced the victim to a supposed supplier. Intrigued by the offer, she deposited a total of RM24,250 into a bank account provided by the suspect.
“It was only later, upon further checking, that she realised the project was non-existent,” Alexson said today.
In the second case, a retiree in his 60s became a victim of a phone scam where fraudsters posed as officers from Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM).
The incident began with the victim receiving a text message from an unknown person claiming to be a BNM officer, informing him that his credit card had been fraudulently used.
“The victim was then instructed to call several other individuals posing as BNM officers to terminate his credit card. In the process, he unknowingly divulged all his personal information, including banking details,” Alexson added.
The victim only discovered the scam when he noticed the disappearance of his money from his account.
Both cases are being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code for fraud. — DayakDaily
