Trader loses almost RM120,000 to phone scammers posing as police

IPOH: A trader from Teluk Intan lost approximately RM118,880 after becoming a victim of a phone scam.

Hilir Perak OCPD Asst Comm Ahmad Adnan Basri stated that on September 14, a 48-year-old woman received a call from an individual claiming to be a staff member from the Inland Revenue Board. The scammer informed her of “arrears” totaling RM58,982.

The woman denied the existence of these arrears and was instructed to file a police report. The call was then transferred to someone named “Kpl Iskandar”.

“Kpl Iskandar accused the victim of collaborating with another person in money laundering and drug trafficking. She was requested to transfer RM98,000 to the police for investigation purposes and was ensured that the money would be returned once the case was completed,” he explained in a statement.

Subsequently, she was connected to an individual named ‘Sjn Redzwan’. This person warned her about the severe consequences she could face, including the death penalty and flogging, as the crime was considered quite serious. She was then instructed to send regular WhatsApp messages to this person at specific times throughout the day, using the phone number 017-544 2015,” he added.

On September 15 at approximately 11:05 am, the victim received another call from Sjn Redzwan, who asked her to declare all her assets, including her bank account details and jewelry.

“She later received a call from someone named ‘Datuk Senior Asst Comm Amirul,’ who instructed her to take a photo of her husband’s bank account booklet. She complied and sent the photo as requested,” he continued.

“That same day, she withdrew RM21,500 from her Amanah Saham Bhd and deposited it into an account belonging to someone named ‘Rokih.’ A total of seven transactions were made,” he stated.

He added that on September 18 at around 1:05 pm, “SAC Amirul” contacted the victim and advised her to pawn her jewelry, which was valued at RM97,380. He instructed her to deposit the money into two different financial institution accounts for investigative purposes and to clear her name.

According to ACP Ahmad Adnan, the victim informed her husband about the situation that same night and was advised to file a police report.

ACP Ahmad Adnan emphasized the importance of remaining cautious to avoid falling victim to scams. He advised ignoring calls or messages from unknown individuals and utilizing mobile apps like Whoscall or Truecaller to identify unknown numbers.

“Do not panic when dealing with scammers. Law enforcement agencies do not call people to threaten them or offer the option to settle matters outside of official channels,” he warned.

ACP Ahmad Adnan also urged individuals who receive such calls to inform their spouse, friends, or family members to obtain their perspectives or to contact the 997 National Scam Response Centre hotline for advice.

“Under no circumstances should personal banking details be shared or revealed when requested by strangers to deposit funds into any bank accounts. Verify bank accounts through the https://semakmule.rmp.gov.my website or download the Semak Mule app,” he concluded.