KUANTAN: A 42-year-old teacher was defrauded of RM340,500 after falling victim to an elaborate phone scam involving individuals posing as an insurance agent, a police officer, and a deputy public prosecutor.
Pahang police chief Datuk Seri Yahaya Othman stated the victim received an initial call on April 27 from a suspect who falsely accused her of money laundering and demanded bail money.
The suspect then instructed her to open a new bank account, change her registered phone number, apply for a personal loan exceeding RM280,000, and pawn her jewellery.
Between July 15 and September 15, the victim made 13 separate cash transactions totalling RM117,000 to eight different bank accounts as instructed by the scammers.
A subsequent check of her bank statement revealed 24 unauthorised transactions worth RM223,500 had been made from her account after the syndicate gained access.
Yahaya advised the public to verify any received account numbers on the official police website https://semakmule.rmp.gov.my before proceeding with transactions.
He also urged anyone suspecting they have been scammed to immediately contact the National Scam Response Centre (NSRC) at the dedicated hotline 997. – Bernama
