Bayan Lepas factory engineer loses RM336,760 to phone scam syndicate
Penang police chief Datuk Hamzah Ahmad said the 35-year-old woman received a phone call from an unknown number while at work on March 25.
'A man introducing himself as a representative of the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) claimed that her phone number had been linked to 33 police reports for various crimes before the call was supposedly transferred to the Sarawak Police Contingent headquarters, where she spoke to another officer.
'The second police officer claimed that she was involved in a money laundering case and ordered her to hand over all her money for investigation, assuring her that the money would be returned after it was completed. The suspect also threatened to issue an arrest warrant if she failed to comply,' he said in a statement today.
Hamzah said the frightened victim followed the suspect's instructions and transferred money online into 14 bank accounts from March 25 and June 9, until all her savings were drained.
He said when the suspect continued to demand more money, the victim realised she had been scammed and filed a police report yesterday.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Malay Mail
2 days ago
- Malay Mail
‘Don't click': Public warned of RM100 Sara scam links posing as government portals
MUAR, July 26 — The public is urged to remain vigilant against fraudulent links circulated by scammers related to the one-off RM100 cash assistance under the Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (Sara) initiative, which are designed to collect personal information, said Deputy Communications Minister Teo Nie Ching. She said the scammers often employ deceptive tactics by sharing links accompanied by posters that appear convincing, incorporating official-looking elements such as the Malaysia Madani and Bersama Malaysiaku logos to mislead recipients. 'One such example is the link which falsely claims to provide official information about the RM100 Sara aid and prompts users to submit their personal information. The Ministry of Finance confirmed yesterday that this link is fake,' she said. 'My advice is, if the information truly comes from the government, the link will typically end with '. - where 'gov' stands for government,' she told reporters after attending the Madani Community Service programme held in conjunction with the launch of National Month and Fly the Jalur Gemilang campaign here. She added that numerous complaints had been received regarding the matter, and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) had taken steps to block the fraudulent link. Teo said that such scams often evolve by creating new websites with similar names, such as ' or ' and urged the public to remain vigilant. She also stressed that no money will be deposited into e-wallets or Touch 'n Go accounts. Instead, eligible MyKad holders only need to present their identification cards at participating outlets, including Lotus's, Mydin, 99 Speedmart and selected grocery stores — to access the benefits. 'The primary role of the MyKad in this programme is solely to verify the identity of recipients. It has no connection to any e-wallet platform, so there's no need to worry if your MyKad isn't linked to certain applications,' Teo said. She also urged the public to rely only on official websites or verified social media accounts of government agencies, such as the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Communications for the latest and most accurate information. 'Our tagline for fake news is 'If you're not sure, don't share.' Today, I want to add: 'If you're not sure, don't click,'' she added. — Bernama
Malay Mail
2 days ago
- Malay Mail
Police to operate 24-hour 997 hotline for scam victims from September, says deputy communications minister
KULAI, July 26 — The public, especially victims of online scams, are urged to use the 997 hotline, which will operate 24 hours as the National Scam Response Centre (NSRC) under the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) from September. Deputy Communications Minister Teo Nie Ching said the move is expected to improve assistance for victims amid the rising trend of online scams, with 46,817 scam-related advertisements detected this year as of July 15. She said a call to 997 will now be treated as a police report, eliminating the need for victims to lodge a separate report at a police station. 'This will save victims time and hassle,' she told reporters after inspecting a concrete drainage project to address flash floods at Kampung Melayu Bukit Batu here today. Teo said 80 per cent of scam ads are detected on Facebook, often misusing names of high-profile individuals. Last year, 6,297 fraudulent ads were removed across social media platforms. She added she was also a victim when her photos were used in fake ads offering free books by the former education minister. 'Even after the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) removed the ads, other accounts uploaded the same scam. I am unhappy with Meta for allowing this to continue,' she said. — Bernama
The Star
2 days ago
- The Star
Calls to 997 scam hotline to be treated as police reports, says Deputy Comms Minister
KULAI: A call to the 997 hotline for the National Scam Response Centre (NSRC) under the police will be treated as a police report, eliminating the need for scam victims to lodge separate reports at a police station, says Teo Nie Ching. The Deputy Communications Minister also said the 997 hotline would operate 24-hours a day from September to improve assistance for victims amid a rising trend of online scams. She also said that as of July 15, 46,817 scam-related advertisements had been detected. "This will save victims time and hassle," she told reporters after inspecting a concrete drainage project to address flash floods at Kampung Melayu Bukit Batu here Saturday (July 26). Teo said 80% of scam ads were detected on Facebook, often misusing names of high-profile individuals. According to hear, 6,297 fraudulent advertisements were removed across social media platforms in 2024. She added she was also a victim when her photos were used in fake ads offering free books by the former education minister. "Even after the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) removed the ads, other accounts uploaded the same scam. I am unhappy with Meta for allowing this to continue," she said. - Bernama
