CHUKAI: An engineer lost RM114,000 after falling victim to a phone scam syndicate that impersonated an officer from the Bukit Aman Anti-Money Laundering (AMLA) Criminal Investigation team.
Kemaman police chief Supt Mohd Razi Rosli said the incident occurred on Aug 5, when the 31-year-old victim received a phone call from an individual claiming he was under investigation for involvement in an account fraud syndicate.
He said the suspect had instructed the victim to make several payments in order to avoid arrest and to clear his name from the alleged investigation.
“Panicked and fearing legal repercussions, the victim made five transactions amounting to RM114,000 to four different bank accounts over a span of two days, as directed by the suspect,” he said in a statement.
The victim only realised he had been deceived when he was no longer able to contact the individual. The case is now being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating.
Mohd Razi also advised members of the public to verify suspicious phone numbers and bank accounts using the Semak Mule application before taking any action.
He added that individuals can contact the National Scam Response Centre (NSRC) at 997 to confirm the legitimacy of any request involving third-party money transfers. - Bernama
