A retail trader faced a staggering loss of RM922,300.87 after falling victim to a fraudulent phone call posing as law enforcement. The incident, reported by Alor Gajah district police chief Supt Arshad Abu, involved a man in his 50s who received a call from an impersonator claiming to be Sergeant Tan from the police force in Perak. This phone call, which took place in early December of the previous year, set off a chain of events that led to significant financial losses for the victim.
The scam artist, situated in Simpang Ampat, spun a tale involving a fraudulent bank manager supposedly using the victim’s account for illicit activities. To evade arrest, the victim was coerced into complying with the instructions given by the impersonator. This included leaving behind his ATM card and bank account details without any physical interaction, on December 20, at a designated location in Simpang Ampang.
Subsequently, on January 3, the victim was instructed to create a bank cheque valued at RM420,000 in favor of a company allegedly owned by the scammer. Following these instructions, the victim deposited the cheque using a bank cheque machine in the district. However, the situation worsened as the victim realized, six days later, that numerous unauthorized transfers totaling RM502,300.87 had been made from his account to an unknown destination between December 21 of the previous year and January 8 of the current year.
Despite a further attempt to extort money on January 9, the victim, recognizing the scam, did not comply and instead reported the incident to the authorities the following day.
This unfortunate incident serves as a stark reminder to remain vigilant against phone scams and highlights the importance of verifying the legitimacy of unexpected calls or requests for sensitive information. Always consult the authorities if you suspect fraudulent activities to prevent financial exploitation.
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