
RM193,000 gone: Woman pensioner falls victim to phone scam
Kemaman police chief Supt Mohd Razi Rosli said on May 25, a 63-year-old woman (victim) received a phone call from a suspect impersonating an agent from Takaful Malaysia.
He said the suspect claimed the victim had filed a false insurance claim, which could lead to her being fined and imprisoned.
'The first suspect then connected the call to another suspect who pretended to be a police officer.
'The suspect asked the victim to provide her bank card details and the security password for her savings account for verification purposes. The panicked victim complied with the suspect's instructions out of fear of being imprisoned,' he said in a statement today.
However, Mohd Razi said that on June 8, the victim was shocked to discover that her savings had been reduced by RM193,000.
On checking, the victim found that 20 money transfer transactions had been made to four unknown bank accounts between May 29 and June 8.
'Police advise the public to first verify the phone numbers used by suspects through the 'Semak Mule' online application provided by the Commercial Crime Investigation Department.
'The case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code,' he added.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Star
an hour ago
- The Star
Indonesian man held over suspicious entry stamps
PUTRAJAYA: An Indonesian man was detained on Saturday afternoon after being found with suspicious security stamps during immigration checks at the departure hall of Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) Terminal 1. Initial investigations revealed that he had entered Malaysia via the Pasir Gudang entry point in Johor on July 18, 2022, and was recorded as having left the country through KLIA on Aug 13, 2022. 'However, several entry and exit security stamps bearing his name from 2022 to 2025 raised doubts,' said the Malaysian Checkpoints and Border Agency yesterday, Bernama reported. Further checks through the system found no official records of the man's movements in or out of Malaysia during that period. He later admitted to investigators that he had never left Malaysia since 2022 and had paid RM4,000 to obtain the fake stamps. The agency said the case pointed to possible involvement in a 'flying' syndicate, a term used for fraudulent immigration stamping. Further investigations will be carried out to identify those behind the activity and to pursue disciplinary action and criminal charges.


New Straits Times
2 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Scripted deception: How scammers 'coached' doctor into RM8.7mil loss
JOHOR BARU: The RM8.7 million that vanished from a doctor's savings did not disappear in a single swoop — it was drained through 252 transfers over 90 days, in a calculated sequence that slipped under the regulatory radar. Banking insiders said that the syndicate behind the high-return investment scam probably coached the 53-year-old victim into structuring her transactions in a way that dodged red flags in the banking system. A source familiar with commercial bank fraud procedures told the New Straits Times that the scam appeared to rely on a common tactic. "It is very likely the doctor was told to break large amounts into smaller, seemingly routine transfers made over time to multiple mule accounts. "If each transfer is RM20,000 to RM30,000 and made a few times a day to different accounts, it can bypass most automated detection tools," the banker said. "When the customer is the one initiating and authorising the transfers, especially when spread over 60 to 90 days, the system assumes she knows what she's doing. "We rely on algorithmic triggers. If a customer walks willingly into a scam, the system may never catch it," the source said, adding that returns above 15 to 20 per cent annually are a red flag. The NST reported that a 53-year-old doctor lost RM8.7 million of her savings in an online investment scam. Between May and July, the victim was persuaded to transfer the RM8.7 million into accounts controlled by the syndicate. Johor Baru (South) deputy police chief Superintendent Azrul Hisham Mohd Shaffei said the scam began with an investment pitch that promised returns of up to 520 per cent. The fraudsters had even paid out a small initial "profit" to establish trust. The NST tried to contact the doctor, but she did not respond. However, it learnt that the bulk of the RM8.7 million was moved in stages. Over three months, the victim was coaxed into moving her life savings through staggered transactions designed to avoid banking red flags. In May, she made two daily transfers of RM25,000 each over 26 days, amounting to RM1.3 million. In June, she made three daily transfers of RM30,000 over 28 days, totalling RM2.52 million. In July, she made 140 transfers, averaging RM34,857, resulting in RM4.88 million being drained. The structuring allowed the RM8.7 million to slip beneath the banking system's detection thresholds. The banker said that by spreading out the transactions and keeping them under critical thresholds, the scammers mimicked legitimate investment activity. Under Malaysia's anti-money laundering compliance framework, banks are required to monitor and report suspicious transactions. However, when the victim is an active participant, the effectiveness of the detection system is limited. "If there's no sudden spike, no blacklisted accounts involved, and the sender shows no distress, then even RM8.7 million can move silently," the source said It is believed the scammers also used multiple mule bank accounts, including new or "clean" ones with no prior suspicious activity, to avoid triggering alerts. A police source told the NST that the victim was still coming to terms with the financial and emotional blow. "They didn't just steal her money; they broke her, one transfer at a time," the source said The doctor was lured by the legitimate-looking online investment advertisement in April. They often include a clause stating that profit margins will be disclosed only after direct contact, allegedly to "comply" with government or banking regulations. This made the investment scheme appear legitimate while maintaining control over the victim. "The ads on social media, complete with fake testimonials, rarely advertise sky-high returns, which might seem too good to be true. "Instead, they include a clause stating that the profit schedule is accessible only after direct contact. "They would claim that the profit scheme had to be shared personally with investors to comply with banking or government regulations, which led to false legitimacy while tightening their grip on the victim," the source said. The trap snapped shut the moment the victim made the call. The smooth-talking scammers almost always reeled in their victims from there. The doctor was told the scheme offered total returns of up to 520 per cent — meaning every RM1 invested would give her RM5.20, a profit of RM4.20. A minimum investment was required to access that rate. She was cautious but curious. She spoke to the so-called agent rather than relying on text messages. She requested a face-to-face meeting, but was told the company was based overseas. She tested the waters with a RM1,160 investment. Within a week, RM6,033 landed in her account. It was the bait she didn't realise she had taken. The NST was told that the scammer had shown the doctor charts, fake profits and testimonials, which made everything look legitimate. When she received the RM6,033 profit, she fell for the scam and made bigger investments. From May to July, she was persuaded to make dozens of transfers to multiple bank accounts under the syndicate's control. But when she attempted to withdraw what she believed were her gains, the portal stalled. Then came a new demand to pay another RM500,000 as deposit fees or risk having her account frozen. By then, she realised she had been scammed. Scams and 'willing' victims JOHOR BARU: Despite advanced fraud monitoring systems, many scams, particularly those involving 'willing' victims, slip past undetected. The tactics commonly used by the scammers. LOW-VALUE, HIGH-FREQUENCY TRANSFERS Scammers instruct victims to send money in small sums, often below RM30,000, to avoid hitting high-risk thresholds set by banks. USE OF 'CLEAN' MULE ACCOUNTS Funds are directed to new or unflagged bank accounts, making them harder for banking systems to identify as suspicious. STAGGERED TRANSACTIONS Money is transferred over days or weeks, not all at once. This method mimics ordinary investment or business behaviour. VICTIM-LED INITIATION When customers log in and completes the transfer, without complaints or distress signals, banks treat the transaction as legitimate. Syndicates provide victims with fake investment platforms, contracts or profit dashboards to boost credibility and suppress doubt.


The Star
3 hours ago
- The Star
Cops given instructions to charge Tishant's father
Drugs in disguise: Comm Kumar (centre) showing the drink sachets containing drugs seized during raids to members of the media during a press conference. JOHOR BARU: The police have received instructions to bring charges against the father of A. Tishant, who was initially reported missing and later believed to have died from strangulation, says Johor police chief Comm Datuk M. Kumar. However, he said it will only be carried out once Jempol police headquarters in Negri Sembilan completes the investigation under Section 302 of the Penal Code for murder. 'Our investigation involves the suspect's police report claiming that his son had gone missing, alongside another report made by his wife stating she had been assaulted by him,' he told a press conference at the state police headquarters yesterday. Comm Kumar said the suspect's wife first lodged a police report on July 22 claiming that she was physically abused by the suspect, who also took their only child away. He was then detained. 'The suspect was later released on police bail. He then lodged a police report alleging that he had left the child inside a car before the boy went missing. 'We opened another investigation paper under Section 31(1) of the Child Act for child neglect, and also a missing person's probe.' However, Comm Kumar said the police found inconsistencies in the suspect's recorded statements and re-arrested him. 'Investigations led us to the discovery of the boy's remains in Jempol, Negri Sembilan.' The suspect was then handed over to the Negri Sembilan police for further investigation. Tishant was reported missing in Taman Bukit Indah here on July 24 and four days later, his body was discovered buried in Rompin, Jempol. On July 29, strangulation was identified as the child's cause of death. On a separate matter, Comm Kumar said a 31-year-old Vietnamese woman who had been storing and distributing drugs from two apartment units over the past five months was arrested, with over RM4.9mil worth of drug-related substances seized. He added the suspect, believed to be part of a drug syndicate, had disguised the drugs in coffee and juice sachets. 'The operation was uncovered after two raids on July 25 and 26 at two units in the same gated apartment complex,' he said. 'She is believed to have used one unit as her residence and storage space, and the other for repackaging the drugs.' Each drug-laced drink sachet was sold for around RM250, he added. Comm Kumar said police seized 29.2kg of ecstasy powder, 131gm of ecstasy pills, and 20gm of ketamine, which was enough to supply more than 97,000 drug users. Police also confiscated drug- processing equipment, jewellery, RM3,000 cash, and S$193 (RM638). Comm Kumar said that police are seeking Terrence Ki Kek Ding, 35, to help in the investigation.