Government Retiree Loses Over RM500,000 To Phone Scam

BUKIT MERTAJAM, Dec 11 (Bernama) -- A government retiree here recently lost RM537,058 after falling victim to a phone scam syndicate.

Seberang Perai Tengah district police chief ACP Helmi Aris said the 73-year-old woman lodged a police report on Dec 7, claiming she had been targeted since Aug 29.

“The victim received a phone call from a man introducing himself as a police officer from the Anti-Money Laundering Division. He told her that a bank account registered under her name in Kangar, Perlis, was allegedly involved in money laundering.

“The woman was then connected to another man claiming to be a police officer from the Kangar Police Station,” he said in a statement today.

Helmi said the victim was later asked to hand over all her bank ATM cards along with their PINs, supposedly for investigation, by leaving them at a bus stop near her home.

He added that the victim transferred RM537,058 into her bank accounts between Sept 3 and Dec 6, and checks showed that withdrawals were made in stages from Nov 27 to Dec 5 at several banks in the Klang Valley using the surrendered ATM cards.

The case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating.

--BERNAMA