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KUCHING, June 14: A 63-year-old retired teacher from Kuching recently fell victim to a phone scam, losing nearly RM740,000.
Sarawak Commissioner of Police Dato Mohd Azman Ahmad Sapri has confirmed that the victim filed a police regarding the incident.
According to the victim’s account, she received a call from an individual posing as “Inspector Khoo” from the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM).
“The imposter informed her that she was involved in illegal money laundering, requiring Bank Negara to inspect her savings account.
“To facilitate the investigation, the victim was instructed to open new bank accounts and transfer her savings into them,” Mohd Azman said in a statement today.
Distressed, she complied, opening two separate bank accounts in Kuching on May 12, 2023.
Subsequently, she transferred RM369,525 from both her personal savings and her husband’s savings to the newly created accounts. The imposter further demanded the victim to disclose the banking details of the new accounts.
Only after contacting the banks did the victim realise she had been deceived, learning that several transactions amounting to RM739,050 had been made from both new accounts to an unknown individual’s account.
Mohd Azman has once again advised the public against entertaining unknown calls and that they should inform spouses, partners, close friends or famlily members when encountering suspicious calls.
He also urged verifying with the police station, bank, or relevant agencies for authenticity.
The public are encouraged to scan the “Scan Me” QR code on JSJK’s official social media account and commercial crime e-book to obtain the latest information on commercial crime modus operandi.
For further assistance or to report information regarding online crime cases, the public may contact the Commercial Crime Investigation Department Infoline at 013-2111222 (WhatsApp/SMS).
It is also advisable to check suspect phone numbers and bank accounts using the JSJK’s Check Scammers application or by visiting the website http://semakmule.rmp.gov.my before engaging in any financial transactions.
To stay updated on cyber-related crimes, individuals are encouraged to visit JSJK’s official social media accounts, namely JSJKPDRM and CYBERCRIMEALERTRMP, on platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. — DayakDaily
