CHUKAI: A pensioner was poorer by RM193,000 after falling victim to a phone scam syndicate.
Kemaman police chief Supt Mohd Razi Rosli said on May 25, a 63-year-old woman (victim) received a phone call from a suspect impersonating an agent from Takaful Malaysia.
He said the suspect claimed the victim had filed a false insurance claim, which could lead to her being fined and imprisoned.
“The first suspect then connected the call to another suspect who pretended to be a police officer.
“The suspect asked the victim to provide her bank card details and the security password for her savings account for verification purposes. The panicked victim complied with the suspect’s instructions out of fear of being imprisoned,“ he said in a statement today.
However, Mohd Razi said that on June 8, the victim was shocked to discover that her savings had been reduced by RM193,000.
On checking, the victim found that 20 money transfer transactions had been made to four unknown bank accounts between May 29 and June 8.
“Police advise the public to first verify the phone numbers used by suspects through the ‘Semak Mule’ online application provided by the Commercial Crime Investigation Department.
“The case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code,“ he added.
