KUANTAN, Aug 14 (NNN-BERNAMA) — A female clerk claims to have lost RM25,498.80 to a Macau Scam syndicate which coaxed her into revealing her personal banking details.
Pahang Commercial Crime Investigation Department Supt chief Mohd Wazir Mohd Yusof said the 39-year-old victim from Kuala Terla in Cameron Highlands claimed she was contacted by a male suspect yesterday afternoon, who introduced himself as a bank officer.
The ‘bank officer’ claimed that the victim’s identity card had been misused to apply for a credit card which currently had arrears totalling RM6,000.
“The victim claimed the call was then connected to a ‘police officer’ investigating fraudulent use of identity cards and that some of the questions asked were regarding the victim’s banking information.
“The victim answered all the police officers’ questions and two hours later, received SMS messages from the bank informing of large amount transactions done from her account,” he told reporters here today.
Mohd Wazir said the victim checked her account online and found that there were three money transfers done within 30 minutes.
She filed a report at the Cameron Highlands District Police Headquarters and investigations are currently being carried out under Section 420 of the Penal Code which provides for a maximum jail term of 10 years, and whipping, with a possible fine, if convicted.
In a separate case, a general worker at a water treatment plant in Rompin claimed he lost RM22,000 after transferring money to an account number provided by an ‘Inspector Imran’ who contacted him this morning.
Mohd Wazir said the 57-year-old victim claimed that the ‘police officer’ informed him that he was implicated as being involved in drugs and money laundering.
“The victim claimed to have followed the instructions of the police officer to transfer the money, because he feared that his bank account would be frozen if the investigation was prolonged,” he added.
— NNN-BERNAMA
