KUALA LUMPUR: Police detained 14 men for their alleged involvement in 44 cases of ‘Macau Scam’ syndicate since July last year, with losses estimated at RM3 million.
Kuala Lumpur police chief Datuk Seri Mazlan Lazim said the suspects, aged between 17 and 36, were picked up in a special operation in the Klang Valley by teams from the Wangsa Maju and Cheras district police headquarters’ Commercial Crimes Investigation Department, last Friday.
He said police mounted the operation after a 54-year-old woman lodged a report on March 13, claiming that she received a phone call from a bank saying that her credit card had arrears of RM7,000 but she denied having that much of outstanding arrears.
“The call was extended to (two of) the suspects who disguised as police officers by the name of Insp Khoo and Insp Yeap.
“They asked the victim to transfer RM70,000 into a bank account given by the suspects which she obliged,” he told a press conference at the Kuala Lumpur police contingent headquarters here yesterday.
Mazlan said after the transaction, the victim was contacted by the bank informing that the call was a scam.
“However, the bank managed to block only RM30,000 while the remaining RM40,000 was already cashed out by the suspects,” he said.
Subsequently, Mazlan said the teams conducted the operation and detained all the suspects between 2am and 2.30 am.
Police also seized 899 various communications devices, telephone scripts and the complete list of 10,000 victims’ personal data, all of which were believed to have been used by the syndicate.
Mazlan said one of the 14 suspects served as the ‘IT support’ person, two as supervising staff while 11 others disguised as bank officers to contact the victims.
“Investigation also revealed that one of the suspects, aged 36, had been on a police wanted list and had a criminal record for murder in Sungai Dua, Penang in 2013,” he said, adding that the syndicate had been active over the past one year.
Mazlan said the suspects were being remanded until Friday to facilitate investigation under Section 420 of the Penal Code.
Police were now closing in on other suspects, he said.
Mazlan advised the public not to be easily duped when receiving a call from someone claiming to be from a bank, the police or unknown person who mentioned about credit card or loan outstanding.
He also urged the public to check with Bank Negara Malaysia or lodge a report at the nearest police station or contact the Kuala Lumpur Police Hotline at 03-21159999 or the Kuala Lumpur Police Control Centre at 03-21460532 ext 584/585.
