KUALA LUMPUR: Police have thwarted the plans of a Macau scam syndicate with the arrest of four Taiwanese men at a condominium unit in Jalan Kuchai Lama here, last Tuesday.
City police chief Datuk Seri Mazlan Lazim said the 6pm raid conducted by the Dang Wangi district Commercial Crime Investigation Department was made following a report lodged by a 47-year-old woman on Jan 16.
Mazlan said the victim, a staff at an oil company, received a call from a man who claimed that he is a Customs officer.
The man claimed that the victim had RM16,000 in Good and Service Tax (GST) arrears and she was wanted by Kedah police over the abuse of drugs and a money laundering case.
“The caller asked the victim to transfer a certain amount to a given account, and if she failed to comply, her account will be frozen.
“In fear over the alleged offence, the victim then transferred RM10,500 to an account. She realised that she has been cheated when she failed to contact the caller,” Mazlan said in a press conference at the Kuala Lumpur police headquarters.
He said two men, aged 27 and 35, were believed to be the masterminds of the syndicate.
“We seized 56 ATM cards, 15 mobile phones, a laptop and six SIM cards from the condominium unit.
“We believe the condominium unit was used as the ‘collection centre’. Their call centres were located at other premises, inside and outside Kuala Lumpur.
“Police are still tracking a 34-year-old man, the owner of the condominium unit, to facilitate investigation,” he said.
Mazlan said investigations showed that 24 cases reported in various states were linked to the syndicate.
“Five cases were traced in Selangor; Johor (5); Perak (3); Kedah, Penang, Melaka, and Kelantan (2); Kuala Lumpur, Pahang, and Negri Sembilan (1), involving losses amounting to RM887,168.78.
“Further investigations are still underway to identify other syndicate members who are still at large.”
The case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating.
He said Macau scam cases have increased from 197 cases to 208 cases between January and June this year compared to the same period in 2017.
“Losses involved also increased from RM10 million to RM14 million. We advised Malaysians to be aware of calls from strangers, or anyone who claim they are from banks and enforcement agencies.
“Ignore the calls and do not heed their instructions. Refer immediately to the related agencies to get verification to prevent yourself from becoming a victim,” he advised.