KUANTAN: A 40-year-old teacher ended up losing RM59,980 of her savings after she was tricked into believing that the police were going to arrest her for criminal offences.
Pahang police chief Datuk Seri Ramli Mohamed Yoosuf said the victim received a phone call from an unknown caller last month saying that she had sent a parcel which contained prohibited items.
"The call was immediately connected to a 'police officer' who informed her that she had committed several other criminal offences and the department had issued an arrest warrant against her.
"The 'police officer' transferred the call to another man, who identified himself as 'Datuk Aman'. He assured the victim that her case can be settled and instructed her to transfer her savings into another account," he said in a statement.
Ramli said "Datuk Aman' provided a bank account number for the victim to transfer her savings. The victim made three transactions amounting to RM59,980 in total before realising that she had been duped.
Meanwhile, Ramli said in another incident, a 41-year-old trader lost RM20,050 after she was instructed to provide her bank account details to fraudsters who were impersonating policemen.
He said the victim received a call from a supposed courier company worker, claiming that she had a parcel under her name and the contents included a debit card, a cheque book and phone SIM card.
"When the victim denied knowledge of the parcel, the call was supposedly transferred to the Selangor police headquarters where a police officer with the rank of inspector told the victim that her name was linked with drug activities and money laundering.
"The officer promised to assist and told her to provide her bank information for investigations purposes before the victim later realised RM20,050 missing. The suspect made six transactions from the victim's account into four other separate accounts," he said.
Ramli said both cases were being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating, which provides for a maximum jail term of 10 years and whipping, and a fine if convicted