KUANTAN: A teacher was cheated out of RM27,500 by a man believed to be part of a Macau Scam syndicate, police said today.
The 57-year-old woman received a phone call on Wednesday from the man, who alleged that her name had been used to open a bank account linked to money laundering.
The man claimed to be a police officer from the Pahang state police headquarters.
"Out of fear of being arrested for not cooperating with the police, the victim followed the instructions of the man, including giving him her bank account details and other personal particulars," said Pahang Commercial Crime Investigation Department chief Superintendent Mohd Wazir Mohd Yusof.
"When the woman checked her bank accounts yesterday morning, she realised that online cash transfers had been made from her two accounts to an unknown account via many transactions," he told reporters here.
The victim then lodged a report at the Raub district police headquarters, about 220km from here.
He said the case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code, which provides for a jail term of up to 10 years, a fine and whipping on conviction. - BERNAMA