Government Pensioner Loses RM50,000 To Phone Scam

KUALA TERENGGANU, Feb 1 (Bernama) -- A 71-year-old female government pensioner lost RM50,000 after falling victim to a phone scam.

Kuala Terengganu police chief ACP Azli Mohd Noor said the victim received a call on Jan 29 from a suspect posing as a Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) officer, who claimed her name had been used to register a TNB modified meter to steal electricity in Pahang.

The call was later transferred to another suspect impersonating a police officer, who accused her of money laundering and instructed her to transfer her savings to a “temporary account” for investigation purposes.

Fearing legal action, the victim transferred RM50,000 to five different accounts, Azli said in a statement today.

Azli said the woman grew suspicious when the suspect failed to follow up and informed her son.

Realising that she had been cheated, a police report was lodged yesterday, and the case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code.

-- BERNAMA