KUCHING: A clerk found herself ensnared in a phone scam, resulting in a substantial loss of RM280,000.
Her ordeal began on Aug 10 when she received a call from an unknown woman purportedly representing the Ministry of Health.
The victim, in her 60s, was accused of taking a significant quantity of painkillers, an allegation which was denied by the victim.
Sarawak Police Commissioner Datuk Mohd Azman Ahmad Sapri said the call was later connected to an individual who identified himself as ‘Sgt Azlan’ from the Perak Contingent Police headquarters (IPK).
“Claiming to hold an arrest warrant in her name for money laundering, ‘Sgt Azlan’ pressured the victim into believing that transferring money into several bank accounts, were necessary for an ongoing investigation.
“Putting her trust in the police officer, the victim transferred RM280,000 into three bank accounts via nine transactions.
“These transfers were made over several weeks, from mid-August to early September,” he said.
Mohd Azman said the victim realised she was cheated when she couldn’t contact the suspect after the final money transfer.
The victim reported the incident to the police yesterday (Sept 11) and the case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code.
In light of this, the public is advised not to entertain unknown phone calls and immediately notify their partners, friends, or family members should they receive suspicious phone calls.
