KUALA TERENGGANU: A teacher lost 446,200 ringgit after falling victim to an elaborate phone scam.
Kuala Terengganu district police chief ACP Azli Mohd Noor said the 52-year-old victim received a phone call on June 28 from someone claiming to be an insurance company representative.
The suspect informed the victim he was involved in a fake medical claim worth 12,000 ringgit.
He then connected the victim to an accomplice posing as a police officer for further action.
The scammer additionally claimed the victim was involved in a money laundering case with an individual named Mike Paul.
The victim was subsequently instructed to contact two other individuals posing as police and judicial officers.
The suspect even produced a forged document bearing the Sabah Judicial Department logo and an arrest warrant in the victim’s name.
Azli said the victim, out of fear, took personal loans, used credit cards and borrowed money from relatives to pay the alleged legal fees and bail.
The victim was also warned by the suspect not to disclose the matter to his family under the pretext of being bound by the Official Secrets Act 1972.
The victim made 23 transactions totalling 446,200 ringgit to 16 different accounts between July 26 and October 19.
He only realised he had been cheated after discovering the documents presented to him were fake and attempts to contact the suspect failed. – Bernama
