Teachers Loses RM1.7 Million To Phone Scam

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 17  (Bernama) -- Educators continue to be targets of phone scam syndicates, with the latest incident involving a retired female teacher who lost RM1.7 million after receiving a call from someone claiming to be an officer from the Malaysian Multimedia Communications Commission last August.

Bukit Aman Commercial Crime Investigation Department (JSJK) Director, Datuk Seri Ramli Mohamed Yoosuf, said the 72-year-old victim claimed she received the call last Aug 22 and was informed that she was involved in money laundering activities.

He said the call was then transferred to someone claiming to be a police officer from IPD Bintulu, who instructed her to disclose her bank account details and to swear to keep the matter confidential.

Ramli said the woman was also instructed to report to a 'police officer' from Bukit Aman twice daily and to withdraw all her savings and deposit them into four bank accounts under her name.

She was then also told to place her ATM cards, PIN numbers, and SIM cards in an envelope and to leave the envelope in a bush area to be picked up for 'investigators' to conduct an audit, he told a press conference today.

He said the woman only realised she had been deceived after finding all the money in her bank accounts l withdrawn and transferred without her knowledge.

She lodged a police report last Oct 9 in Sandakan, Sabah and the police are investigating the case under Section 420 of the Penal Code. 

Ramli said he was saddened by cases of teachers falling victim to scam syndicates.

“I view educators as an educated group that should maintain a high level of vigilance against the threat of crime," he said.

-- BERNAMA