A man in Miri was deceived into transferring over RM253,000 to a scammer posing as a family member of an acquaintance, police confirm
MIRI: A man in his early 60s has lost more than RM253,000 after falling victim to an elaborate impersonation scam.
Miri police chief ACP Mohd Farhan Lee Abdullah said the victim was contacted in December by an individual claiming to be a family member of an acquaintance.
The suspect used the telephone number 012-9324379 to initiate the fraud.
He said the scammer claimed to need a loan because payment for a project had been blocked.
The suspect also stated a need to make a payment to a bank in Singapore.
To bolster the deception, the scammer presented documents related to a purported project.
“The suspect also promised that the victim would receive a payment exceeding the amount borrowed once the project payment was received,” Mohd Farhan said.
Convinced by the ruse, the victim proceeded to make 41 money transfer transactions.
These transactions were sent to four different bank accounts.
The victim only realised he had been cheated after discussing the matter with his family members.
He subsequently lodged a police report on Thursday.
The case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating
