KANGAR: A female contractor lost RM1,448,000 to a phone scam involving impersonation of officers from the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) and police in March.
Padang Besar police chief ACP Mohd Shokri Abdullah stated that the scam unfolded when the 68-year-old woman received a phone call at 8.16 am on March 12 from a woman posing as a MCMC Cyberjaya representative.
The caller laid the elaborate trap by saying her phone number was involved in a fraud case worth RM200,000 and transferred the call to the Sarawak contingent police headquarters for further investigation.
The victim then spoke to a man impersonating a police officer who claimed that her phone number was linked to a drug distribution case and that an ATM card in her name was found. She was instructed to purchase a SIM card and open two bank accounts for investigation purposes.
On March 13, the woman was told to leave her SIM card, ATM card, and PIN number at a specific location in Tasik Melati, Beseri near Padang Besar. She was later directed to transfer money into the accounts in 10 transactions on March 17.
On April 14 (2025), on noticing suspicious transactions the victim filed a police report. An investigation paper has been opened under Section 420 of the Penal Code.
